The convention kicks off Monday, with a slate of marquee speakers to address Democratic delegates at the United Center.
President Biden is set to give the opening remarks, and reports say he’ll be followed by former President Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Harris’s newly minted running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, among other top party names. The vice president will close out the four-day programming on Thursday.
But while the headliners address delegates, multiple groups are expected to protest the high-profile event amid frustration with the Biden administration’s actions around the Israel-Hamas war.
Campus protests over the conflict in Gaza earlier this year raised concerns about possible chaos at the party’s nominating convention, before Biden’s historic exit from the race. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said at the time that Chicago is ready to handle the crowds descending on the city, but the anticipated protests have prompted comparisons to the 1968 Democratic Convention.
That gathering, also in Chicago, was marred by protests against the Vietnam War and by violent policing efforts.
Now, the new Harris-Walz ticket is enjoying a surge of Democratic enthusiasm, but nevertheless faces fresh pressure from members of the pro-Palestinian movement, The Hill’s Caroline Vakil and Yash Roy report.
“When it comes to the genocide in Gaza there is no difference between Biden, Harris, or any of the likely candidates for the nomination. They are all complicit. This is why the coalition will still be marching on the DNC in the tens of thousands,” reads a statement from “March on the DNC,” a coalition of more than 100 organizations planning a protest in “the tens of thousands.”
Harris — who’s been aligned with Biden’s staunch support for Israel and argued that the time is now for a cease-fire — has been interrupted during recent rallies by individuals protesting the war in Gaza, and offered a warning in Detroit:
“You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking,” she said.
Protesters are also expected around other issues at the DNC, including LGBTQ and reproductive rights, The Chicago Sun-Times reports.
