DNC 2024: Protesters plan large marches and rallies in Chicago

CHICAGO (AP) — Crowds of people Activists Outside protests are expected to gather in Chicago Democratic National Convention This week, hoping to draw attention to issues like economic injustice, reproductive rights and the war in Gaza.

Vice President Kamala Harris Galvanized As he prepares to accept the Democratic nomination, activists say their plans to protest have not changed. They are ready to expand their progressive message before the nation's top Democratic leaders.

Their issues include climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, to name a few, but many activists agree on an immediate ceasefire. Israel-Hamas war is the main message of the demonstrations. They have compared it to their generation's Vietnam War. The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the country and buses bring activists from all over the country to Chicago. Organizers estimate at least 20,000 people will attend the march and rally on Monday, the first day of the conference.

« We must play our part in the belly of the beast to end the genocide, end American aid to Israel, and stand with Palestine, » said Hadem Abudaye, a spokesman for the Coalition to March at the DNC.

The coalition consists of hundreds of organizations including students. Activists say Lessons learned From last month's Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. They expect large crowds and even stronger demonstrations throughout the week.

The first protest on Sunday night brought together those calling for abortion and LGBTQ+ rights and an end to the war in Gaza. The march lasted for hours, along a police-lined route, showing no signs of major clashes. Chicago police said two people were arrested on charges of resisting police and damaging property.

Illinois Governor JP Pritzker, considered Harris' running mate, said the peaceful protests were welcome.

« There are a lot of people in the hall who believe some of that message and take it with them, » Pritzker told The Associated Press in a recent interview. « But importantly, the Democratic Party does not shut people down and allow them to express their First Amendment rights. »

But some have lingering security concerns, worried that protests could become unpredictable or chaotic.

Chicago, which has hosted more political conventions than any other American city, cannot escape the comparisons. The infamous 1968 convention There, police and anti-Vietnam War protesters clashed violently on live television.

Some businesses boarded up their windows as a precaution and district courts said they would open more space in case of mass arrests. Chicago police officials say Received extensive training On Constitutional Policing and Expansion Tactics.

The alliance activists and the city have been at loggerheads over the venue and other logistics of the protests. A judge sided with the city along the nearly 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) parade route, which organizers argued was insufficient for the expected crowd. Abudayye said the coalition would continue to push for the long route until Monday's march.

On Monday, the Philadelphia-based Poor People's Army, which advocates for economic justice, plans to set up in Humboldt Park on Chicago's Northwest Side and hold events with third-party candidates. Jill Stein And Cornel West, and a 3-mile (5-kilometer) march.

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In addition to the demonstrations, the city also hosts a speaker stage with 45-minute time slots in a park outside the convention center. Most of the signatories have the same progressive agenda as the coalition, but the list includes the Israeli American Council and the conservative-leaning Illinois Policy Institute. A local firefighter union also hopes to draw attention to the contract fight with the city.

« The First Amendment is fundamental to our democracy, » Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, a former union organizer, told the AP in an interview last week. « I will do everything I can to protect the right to assemble in protest. »