CHICAGO — Initial signs indicate that Monday’s March on the DNC pro-Gaza protest failed to meet expectations.
The Coalition to March on the DNC, the group responsible for organizing demonstrations on the opening and closing days of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, predicted that more than 20,000 activists would attend their protests this week in Chicago.
And while a few thousand did show up at the advertised meeting place at Union Park, just blocks away from the nerve center of this week's programming, that number appeared to fall far short of the predicted total number several hours after the event's scheduled start time.
The Washington Examiner spoke with multiple attendees at Monday's rally, who, while all expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people, also outlined a range of reasons for actually traveling to Chicago, many of which had little to do with the Israel-Gaza conflict.
Cameron McCabe, a student at the University of Wisconsin, said he was leaning toward voting for Vice President Kamala Harris in November but wanted to see her take a stronger stance on Gaza and distance herself from Biden's policy.
"I think she's a lot closer to our goal — a lot, obviously, being a relative term. My goal would be a permanent ceasefire, an end to the Israeli apartheid, and an end to weapons shipments that we send them," McCabe explained. "I'm leaning toward voting for her, especially after the Walz pick. I was very excited about that.
"I think that if she can come out with a firm stance and use the U.S. leverage — I understand she has a very tight rope to walk being in the Biden administration, who is very much committed to the policy that he has laid forward. I understand that, but I believe that if she distanced herself, like Hubert Humphrey did in 1968 for example, I believe that would strengthen my vote and a lot of other people's," he added.
Mwalimu Keita, an organizer for the All-African People's Revolutionary Party from Cincinnati, told the Washington Examiner that he would not be voting for any candidate in November and hoped to raise awareness for an American anti-capitalist movement.
"History has never shown where an election gave us any benefit. You can't name one president that we benefited from, so that's why I think our task is to organize. There has to be another system," he stated. "These are matters of principle. Voting doesn't change anything. That's what I'm for."
Keita, asked about former President Donald Trump's capitalist mindset, said he wasn't concerned about the country sliding in the wrong direction.
"It's already sliding. The Democratic Party's moved to the right," he continued. "That's where the system is going."
Two protesters from Los Angeles, both wearing keffiyehs, body armor, and body cameras, identified themselves to the Washington Examiner as simply "Dr. Gonzo" and "Manny." They said they traveled to Chicago for two specific reasons: disrupting the DNC itself and chasing girls.
"We just hope to shake up those fools over at the convention, over at the United Center, get in their heads a little bit, rattle their cage," Dr. Gonzo stated before turning toward his second reason for coming to Chicago.
"To be honest with you, this guy's got a wandering eye," he said of Manny, who added, "I’ll tell you what, man. I’ll put on whatever gets me the most p****. You've got to play the game."
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March on the DNC secured permits for a parade route nearing the convention itself but still outside of the perimeter for Monday and Thursday.
The organizers had erected a stage in the park Monday afternoon, where leaders delivered speeches, led chants, and played music for the crowd. The group is to march toward the convention itself.
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