CHICAGO — Protesters fueled by heated opposition to America’s support for Israel are committed to demonstrating outside the Democratic National Convention next week, despite the party’s last-minute switch to a candidate more sympathetic to their cause.
Protest groups preparing for the event say tens of thousands of people will descend on Chicago to crown Vice President Kamala Harris as the nominee after President Joe Biden declined to seek re-election.
Chartered buses will bring demonstrators from Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and other states, said Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the advocacy group Palestine Community Network USA, a lead organizer of next week’s planned marches.
Abudayyeh said he held a virtual meeting with members across the country to gauge interest in changing direction after Biden dropped out of the running. There is a quick consensus, he said.
“We will not do anything different. We will mobilize,” said Abudayye. “Harris represents the administration; Represents Biden. There is nothing to suggest that he does not support the policies he expresses independently.”
Predictions about large, destructive protests once dominated the debate about the convention. But after the turmoil within the party, talk of protests subsided. Harris and his running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walsh, are drawing 10,000 or more people in battleground states, and campaign cash is pouring in at an incredible rate — allaying concerns in the party that disaffected Arab and Muslim voters in key states. Like Michigan, it could cost Democrats the race.
Harris called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, but largely echoed the language of the Biden administration. Biden has increased pressure on Israel to accept the cease-fire deal, but he has been one of Israel’s strongest supporters since the October 7 attack by Hamas that killed more than 1,100 people and took hundreds of hostages. . Israel’s response killed tens of thousands of civilians in the Gaza Strip held by Hamas fighters. hostages — a reprisal that angered critics of both Israel and the United States and fueled domestic opposition to Biden.
Since running for office, Harris has clashed with protesters at rallies, including one where the opposition warned of the risk of electing former President Donald Trump.
But pro-Palestinian groups say they expect the same level of participation from their members next week as if Biden were the candidate. They are already have “Killer Kamala” has joined “Genocide Joe” in protests, including protests outside a fundraiser in San Francisco on Sunday. Abudayyeh said his group would be satisfied if the United States stopped sending money to Israel to support a war that has killed thousands of civilians. He also said that he is afraid that tension will happen in the region.
“The movement is saying that not only do we need to stop the genocide, but we also need to stop the possibility that this will become a regional war,” he said.
Law enforcement officials in Chicago say that after a year and a half of planning, no matter what happens, both the convention and the city will be safe.
“We feel very prepared; we are very ready. What people really need to understand is that this is a national security incident. All federal, state, county and local government resources will be used,” Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said. “This is the highest security designation the United States can give anything. … We are very confident in the security plan at the Chicago Police Department. We will work hand in hand to make sure the DNC is safe and Chicago is safe.”
However, Robert Grant, a former FBI special agent in charge in Chicago, warned that in addition to those participating in peaceful protests, there are often bad actors trying to exploit large-scale events.
“It’s summer. It’s Chicago. There are always strays coming into town,” Grant said. “You can be a Republican, you can be a Democrat, you can be a Libertarian or an independent, they are there to cause chaos. That’s the only thing they care about.”
Grant cited the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago, the most recent major event in the city to require a high level of security — though still not as high as the Democratic convention, he said.
Before the summit, investigators identified improvised weapons, such as socks filled with rocks, that were secretly hidden. Law enforcement monitored social media for cryptic public messages, with some groups communicating in real time, and was able to pass intelligence on to bike patrols, disrupting bad actors before they hit them.
“As the home of the largest Palestinian diaspora in the country, we want to give Kamal the killer, his accomplices and his future vice president,” said a masked speaker in a threatening-looking video posted on social media on Tuesday. welcome to our city.”
Guglielmi said that the Secret Service is aware of the video: “We are watching it. We see it. We will make any necessary adjustments.” But he pointed to the FBI’s statement that there is currently no credible threat to the convention.
“At this time, the FBI is not aware of any specific and identifiable threats to the DNC,” the FBI said in a statement. “We will continue to evaluate and share intelligence from local and international partners regarding the DNC, as we do with any large-scale event in the Chicago area.”