Chicago protesters plan large marches as Democratic National Convention kicks off

Crowds of activists are expected to gather in Chicago for protests outside the Democratic National Convention this week, hoping to call attention to such issues as economic injustice, reproductive rights and the war in Gaza.

While Vice President Kamala Harris has galvanised the party as she gears up to accept the Democratic nomination, activists say their plans to demonstrate haven't changed. They're ready to amplify their progressive message before the nation's top Democratic leaders.

Their issues cover climate change, abortion rights and racial equality, to name a few, but many activists agree an immediate cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war is the overarching message of the demonstrations. They've likened it to the Vietnam War of their generation. The Chicago area has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the nation and buses are bringing activists to Chicago from all over the country. Organizers estimate turnout for Monday's march and rally, on the first day of the convention, to be at least 20,000 people.

"We have to play our part in the belly of the beast to stop the genocide, to end US aid to Israel and stand with Palestine,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC.

Thousands of activists march ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, on Sunday. AFP

The coalition is made up of hundreds of organizations, including students. Activists say they learned lessons from last month’s Republican National Convention in Milwaukee. They expect bigger crowds and more robust demonstrations through the week.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who was under consideration as Harris’ running mate, said peaceful protests were welcome.

"There are a lot of people who are inside the hall who will believe in some of those messages and carry that with them,” Pritzker told the media in a recent interview. "But importantly, the Democratic Party doesn’t shut people out and disallow them from expressing their First Amendment rights.”

But some have lingering safety concerns, worried that protests could become unpredictable or devolve into chaos.

Chicago, which has hosted more political conventions than any other US city, has been unable to escape comparisons to the infamous 1968 convention where police and anti-Vietnam War protesters violently clashed on live television.

Police stand guard in Grant Park as pro-Palestine protesters march in Chicago, Illinois. AFP

Some businesses boarded up their windows as a precaution and county courts said they would open more space in case of mass arrests. Chicago police say officers have undergone extensive training on constitutional policing and de-escalation tactics.

Coalition activists and the city have been at odds over the location of the protests and other logistics. A judge sided with the city over an approximately 1-mile (1.6-kilometre) march route, which organizers argue isn't big enough for the expected crowds. Abudayyeh said the coalition would continue to push for a much longer route until the march started on Monday.

Also Monday, the Philadelphia-based Poor People’s Army, which advocates for economic justice, plans to set up at Humboldt Park on the northwest side of Chicago and will feature events with third-party candidates Jill Stein and Cornel West, plus a 3-mile (5-kilometre) march.

Aside from the protests the city is also hosting a speakers’ stage at a park outside the convention center with 45-minute time slots. Most of the organizations who’ve signed up have the same progressive agenda as the coalition, but the list also includes the Israeli American Council and the conservative-leaning Illinois Policy Institute. A local firefighters union is also hoping to call attention to their 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’ll do everything in my power to protect the right to assemble in protest.”

Associated Press