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As the DNC gets underway for the third night, protesters gathered in Union Park, a few blocks away from the United Center.
Chicago has the largest Palestinian-American population in the U.S., and this pro-Palestinian protest attracted several hundred people, including multigenerational families and busloads of people from mosque and community groups.
A protest led by the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine is on the march. This group is entirely peaceful with lots of families- I just saw someone changing his baby鈥檚 diaper right next to the 4-officer-deep police line outside Park 578.
鈥� Liz Baker (@lizNbaker)
Palestinian flags and banners waved while activists took turns leading loud call-and-response chants.
鈥淲herever you look, we will be there!鈥� they vowed.
But at the security checkpoints where DNC attendees were starting to line up to enter the arena for tonight鈥檚 speeches, the chants and rallying cries from the park were audible only as a faint background noise almost indistinguishable from the sounds of the city; wiped out completely with each passing L train on the nearby tracks.
Nida Sahoury, chair of the Chicago chapter of the advocacy nonprofit American Muslims for Palestine, handed out signs on wooden stakes.
鈥淭hey got the message, it鈥檚 just about making the right decision and being on the right side of history,鈥� she said, when asked if she thought the Democrats inside the convention were aware of protesters鈥� demands.
鈥淗e acknowledged the protest,鈥� she said, referring to President Biden鈥檚 brief comment during his Monday speech at the DNC.
鈥淭hat means they hear us,鈥� Sahoury points out, adding that whether it makes a difference to U.S. foreign policy: 鈥淲e can hope. We can only hope.鈥�
Recently, the rally began to move, marching closer to the park near the United Center where a handful of people broke the security barrier on Monday and were arrested.
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