Protest groups hit Chicago streets for Democratic National Convention demonstration

CHICAGO ― With Chicago holding its breath , a day of demonstrations was under way Monday as delegates to the Democratic National Convention formally began meeting Monday, with protest organizers aiming to stage a forceful march opposing the Gaza war .

Hundreds of people began gathering at Union Park, a half mile from the convention hall, before planning to march several miles along nearby streets. Demonstrators playing music and periodically chanted "free, free Palestine" as they assembled.

By mid-afternoon the crowd had swelled to between 1,600 and 4,000 people, according to police on the scene, and protesters were gathered before a stage in Union Park, waving Palestinian flags as they listened to speeches ahead of a planned march on the convention hall.

"We have accomplished something already. There will be thousands of Black, Asian, Latino and Native people saying the central issue of the day is to stop the war, stop the genocide," said Hatem Abudayyeh, national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network. "That's a powerful message all the Democrats in that building will have to hear."

An estimated 50,000 people are attending the convention, including President Joe Biden , who speaks Monday evening. Protest groups are hoping to raise awareness over a host of issues from the Israel-Hamas war to LGBQT rights, reproductive access and police reform.

More: DNC comes to 'Little Palestine' as Gaza deaths top 40,000

Generally, the protesters lean liberal, which in this neck-and-neck presidential race gives them more power. Only 23% of Democrats support Israel's incursion in Gaza , according to a poll conducted in June by Gallup.

Democrats who win the presidency typically do so by assembling a large, diverse coalition, and the party officials know they need support from liberal groups like these to retain the White House.

Activists are hoping to use that leverage to extract concessions from Harris, including a stronger push for a cease-fire in Gaza or an end to arms sales to Israel.

Chicago activist Muhammad Sankari, 36, said he hopes the event sends a "very strong and clear message" for a ceasefire and an end to U.S. arms sales to Israel. “That’s what we want. That’s all we’ve wanted, to end the genocide against our people. Right now, there’s just a lot lip service from the government,” Sankari said, noting what he said was Harris;s "iron-clad support to Israel."

Officials aren't sure how many demonstrators will arrive, but initial permit requests suggest as many at 6,000 could march on Monday, according to court filings. Organizers expect closer to 10,000.

Monday morning, the mood was generally calm in the park as groups held up signs calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. But they were also preparing for a possible turn later, passing out masks just in case deploy pepper spray or another crowd control tactic on the ground. There was no police presence inside the park but outside it, officers in squad cars waited for the march to begin.

During one brief but tense interaction, a group of more than 30 pro-Israeli demonstrators calling themselves "Christians and Jews for Israel" marched through the park, intercepted by several pro-Palestinian supporters waving Palestinian flags. Police and many volunteers quickly stepped in to quell the tensions and prevent any confrontations.

Their march ended peacefully. No arrests were made police, said.

"We want to bring awareness that there are a lot of us who stand for Israel. Israel also has a right to exist," said Jim Scudder, a pastor at Quentin Road Baptist Church in nearby Lake Zurich, Illinois, and the group’s organizer. "We wanted to make sure our message was heard as well."

Besides the flags, Scudder and many in his group held large photos of Diedrich Bonhoeffer, a German theologian who was an anti-Nati dissident. Scudder said many members in his group have no objection to those who support Palestine but feel Israel should also be recognized.

“We don’t oppose Palestine, we oppose Hamas. Israel is a nation that has a right to defend itself,” said Scudder who said it’s uncertain if his organization will appear at other convention-related demonstrations this week.

Ben White, 30, came to Chicago from Boston in a "Workers Strike Back" shirt to protest what White said are broken promises by the Democratic Party. White planned to vote for Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

"The change at the top of the Democratic ticket means nothing," White said, citing the Biden administration's recent approval of $20 billion in arms sales to Israel.

Chicago has hosted 25 nominating conventions since 1860 − the most of any city − but it is the 1968 Democratic convention that sticks in the memory of many activists. That year, protestors angry at the Vietnam War violently clashed with Chicago police and the Illinois National Guard, with hundreds of injuries.

Many of those who showed up to protest Monday also participated at student protests in the spring. Victoria Hinkley was a University of South Florida student who was expelled in the first week of June for participating in a protest encampment.

The 22-year-old said she was unsure what she would do without a degree but still feels she made the right decision then.

"It was definitely worth it," she said. “It was a decision to stand on the right side of history.”

The protest encampment was broken up by police who used rubber bullets and tear gas on protesters, Hinkley said. The vociferous response from authorities proved for her that protesters can achieve their aims by striking a nerve.

"I will make an impact," she said of the protesters rallying in Chicago, adding that it had the Democrats scared. "They know when we mobilize for a cause we win."

In addition to getting signs and slogans ready, others braced for potential fights with police. Mohamed Mawri, a 39-year-old from Detroit, came decked out wearing full bikers pads just in case things turned violent.

“I’ve been protesting over 10 months and seen a lot of police brutality,” he said, adding he was wary of police deploying tear gas and pepper spray.

Elsewhere in the city on Monday, dozens of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporters marched and waved RFK Jr. flags near Wintrust Stadium, hoping to persuade Democratic Party loyalists and undecided voters to shift their support.

Alex Cabrera, a 33-year-old RFK organizer, said he jumped at the opportunity to organize for Kennedy after years of following his work with the Children’s Health Defense and Special Olympics. He said Kennedy’s efforts to improve the country regardless of a person’s political background resonates with him.

"I’m here to help promote the common ground. Regardless of any differences. It's like, what do we have in common to help, you know, move the country and the world, in the right direction," said Cabrera, who said he typically votes third party.

On Sunday, several hundred protesters peacefully marched a short distance down Michigan Avenue under the close supervision of even more police officers, many of them riding bikes they used to keep ahead of the protest, physically barring access to side streets.

Chicago officials required large protest groups to get permits, prescribed their marching routes, and limited the amount of time they can block traffic as they pass. Reflecting significant security concerns, some streets and buildings are blocked off with tall steel fences and concrete barricades, and in some areas, parked snow plows.

The convention is happening amid the war in Gaza, and follows the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and mass-transit sabotage during the Paris Olympics. Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to formally accept the party's nomination on Thursday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Protest groups hit Chicago streets for Democratic National Convention demonstration