Protest organizers are expecting thousands to march outside the Democratic convention here in opposition to the Biden-Harris administration’s support for the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip.
Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to march outside the Democratic National Convention in the Windy City in opposition to the Biden-Harris administration’s support for Israel — threatening to tarnish Vice President Kamala Harris’ weeklong presidential nomination fest.
A coalition of mostly left-wing and Arab- and Muslim-American groups are planning two protest marches — the first and largest on Monday at noon ahead of retiring President Biden’s evening appearance and again on Thursday at 5 p.m. ahead of Harris’ acceptance speech.
“The Democratic Party is the target and not Joe Biden as an individual or Kamala Harris as an individual … She’s just as complicit as Biden is,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, the executive director of the Arab American Action Network who cited her opposition to an arms embargo on Israel as evidence that her attempt to seem more “empathetic” rings hollow.
“If Kamala Harris loses to [former President Donald] Trump, then they have nobody to blame but themselves. This is the Vietnam War of our generation,” he said.
Protesters will be camped out at Chicago’s Union Park — a roughly 10-minute walk from the nearby United Center that will serve as the main convention venue.
Massive attendance had been expected at protests when Biden, 81, was the party’s presumptive nominee — but his decision to retire on July 21 and endorse Harris, 59, has cast some uncertainty over the scale of protests, though organizers say they still expect tens of thousands of participants.
Biden has been denounced as “Genocide Joe” at large and passionate protests – including one in November when thousands of demonstrators painted the White House’s gates red while chanting, “F–k Joe Biden.
