Gaza was barely mentioned in the convention hall, but protesters centered Palestine as they took to Chicago’s streets.

As Vice President Kamala Harris received the presidential nomination at the 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC), thousands of people marched near the convention demanding an end to U.S. arms shipments to Israel and the war on Gaza. The protesters, led by Palestinian and Jewish activists, represented a diverse coalition including anti-war veterans, climate justice activists, and labor organizers. Despite efforts by Democrats to keep the Palestine issue sidelined, the marchers made their voices heard, declaring Harris and President Joe Biden complicit in the genocide in Gaza. The protesters came from communities and movements that are often considered part of the Democratic coalition, warning that their votes could not be taken for granted unless the party takes concrete action to end the occupation and devastation in Palestine. Organizers estimate around 30,000 people demonstrated in Chicago over the course of the week, making Palestine impossible to ignore during the convention. The activists drew connections between the struggle for Palestinian liberation and the fight against racist violence and state repression in the U.S., challenging the Democratic Party’s complicity in both. The protests encountered a heavy police presence, with hundreds of riot police surrounding the march at all times. Despite the tension, the demonstration remained largely peaceful as the protesters demanded justice for Palestine. As Kamala Harris prepared to take the stage, the marchers continued their chants and songs, determined to keep the spotlight on the ongoing catastrophe in Gaza and the Democratic Party’s failure to address it.

  • knightly the Sneptaur@pawb.social
    12·
    3 months ago

    Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s the majority. I think the majority either support Israel without really thinking about it, or don’t care.

    Unfortunately, I don’t think you know what you’re talking about. Polls show an overwhelming majority of Democrats disapprove of Israel’s military adventurism in Gaza:

    https://news.gallup.com/poll/642695/majority-disapprove-israeli-action-gaza.aspx

    It’s not just the Gallup polling about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but also surveys that ask about what’s going on in Gaza today showing this sea change. In a May Data for Progress survey, 83 percent of Democrats supported a “permanent cease-fire and de-escalation of violence” in Gaza. A March Gallup poll found that a clear majority of all respondents, as well as 75 percent of Democrats and 63 percent of independents, now oppose Israeli military action in Gaza, although those numbers were a little bit lower in the most recent survey. Gallup polling also found that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s net favorability among all respondents in July was down 10 points, with just 12 percent of Democrats saying they support him. And in a March Pew study, 44 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents opposed U.S. military aid for Israel, with just 25 percent in favor.

    https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2024/08/kamala-harris-dnc-israel-palestine-polls-voters-ceasefire-arms.html

    • agamemnonymous
      21·
      3 months ago

      Of poll respondents. There’s a large overlap between people who don’t care, and people who don’t answer polls. And oh yeah, Harris has been calling for a ceasefire

      And disregarding AIPAC is stupid. Picking up the single issue voters by overtly pissing off AIPAC during the election will unleash a multimillion dollar ad campaign. Look at what happened to the squad.

      There’s no good reason to do that now. A smart candidate would stay relatively quiet until the election, and then go full bore on the offensive. Especially since, y’know, the vice president doesn’t even have authority here so it’s stupid to blame it on her. Especially when the other candidate is actively sabotaging ceasefire negotiations.

      There’s just no logic here.

      • knightly the Sneptaur@pawb.social
        12·
        3 months ago

        Of poll respondents. There’s a large overlap between people who don’t care, and people who don’t answer polls.

        “Of voters. There’s a large overlap between people who don’t care and people who don’t vote.”

        If you’re going to argue that polling isn’t an effective means of determining public sentiment then you probably shouldn’t pretend to care about voting.

        And oh yeah, Harris has been calling for a ceasefire

        Wake me up when there’s some action behind those words.

        And disregarding AIPAC is stupid. Picking up the single issue voters by overtly pissing off AIPAC during the election will unleash a multimillion dollar ad campaign. Look at what happened to the squad

        Indeed, look at what this foreign influence campaign did to our precious American democracy. But hey, we’re not ready to talk about it because the parties want to have their cake and eat it too.

        There’s no good reason to do that now. A smart candidate would stay relatively quiet until the election, and then go full bore on the offensive.

        You said “smart” but you appear to have meant “complicit”.

        Especially since, y’know, the vice president doesn’t even have authority here so it’s stupid to blame it on her.

        Since when did they abolish the bully pulpit? A lack of authority only means she couldn’t change national policy unilaterally, it doesn’t mean she can’t actively work against arms deals and for an embargo.

        Especially when the other candidate is actively sabotaging ceasefire negotiations.

        Thus, the obvious move is to make the ceasefire negotiations a fait accompli by refusing to reload the aggressor’s weapons. Even Trump can’t sabotage a ceasefire if there’s no fire left to be ceased.

        • agamemnonymous
          2·
          3 months ago

          I dunno what to tell you. My heart aches, aches for Palestine. More than you know. But I’m not a politician, I don’t have tangible power to improve things for them directly. And none of the politicians seem particularly bothered. They’re focused on their campaigns, maintaining the status quo, all of it. Like you said, complicit. It would be great if any of your strategies, or the strategies of the protesters, if anything helped. Actually made a difference. It might assuage some of the dread implicit to our daily lives as profoundly privileged and comfortable citizens of the West.

          But it’s resoundingly obvious that’s it’s just another minor calculation that gets rolled into the other calculations to win elections. People are dying. Innocent people. It eats me alive. But I’m a privileged , comfortable westerner. My ethical inclinations don’t mean shit at best, and soothe me into thinking my compassion is valuable in and of itself at worst.

          But I know what backwards looks like. And backwards is bad for everyone, Palestine included. Ukraine too. All the disenfranchised minorities in this country too. I can’t just revel in my irrelevance, exercise my privilege by tapping out because no one on the ballot has the perfect platform. I’m afforded the opportunity to slow the backslide. And maybe slowing the backslide isn’t enough for you.

          But it’s something tangible, and I’m going to do it. I’m going to vote lesser evil. Not like my life depends on it, because for all my troubles it’s been a blessed life compared to others. If I die tomorrow, I’ve had a better go than most. I’m voting lesser evil to slow the backslide to mitigate damage for others, because that’s what I can do.

          I don’t live in a clear blue state. Lots of other people don’t live in clear blue states. Lots of them identify as leftist. Many of them are here. I’m begging you, don’t project your exceptional privilege as a clear blue citizen as universal. This is serious, backsliding is bad for everyone. Carelessly fomenting apathy in people who could actually help is horrific. This isn’t just Internet arguments. Innocent people are dying. Stop this. The Dems are garbage neo-libs, but the opposition is tangible evil. Enabling genocide is horrific, but it’s marginally better than acceleration of genocide. The opposition is worse. Anything I, and the millions in swing states, can do to mitigate that horror is better than apathy.