Protests erupted in Chicago on Sunday, the day before the Democratic National Convention was set to officially begin and nominate Kamala Harris as the party’s candidate. Demonstrators, under heavy police watch, voiced their opposition to issues such as racism, climate change, and border security, while some dubbed the nominee “Killer Kamala.” The protest, organized by Bodies March an advocacy group focused on abortion rights and Palestinian issues began at N. Michigan and Wacker Drive and moved south to E. 9th Street.
Protesters, waving Pride flags, chanted slogans like “racist, sexist, anti-gay, Christian fascists go away,” while being closely monitored by police. The Bodies March group issued demands calling for federal action to expand abortion access, support for families, and protection of trans and queer rights. They also called for an end to U.S. arms exports to Israel and a ceasefire in Palestine, advocating for the freedom and dignity of all Palestinians.
Chants like “Long live the intifada!” and “Out of your house, out of your home, we’ll bring the war home” were heard among the protesters. The far-left wing of the Democratic Party has been increasingly vocal about their dissatisfaction with the Biden-Harris administration’s policies regarding Israel, especially in the wake of the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israel, which killed 1,200 Israelis and resulted in over 200 kidnappings. Following this, some far-left activists began supporting Hamas over Israel, which responded with military action against the group.
While the Democratic Party’s platform includes support for unrestricted abortion access, protesters, including those dressed as abortion pills, continued to demand access to abortion—something already legally available. Pro-life counter-protesters also made their presence known, arguing that “queer rights” and “trans rights” should begin at conception.
A speaker at the march encouraged attendees to “go get abortion pills,” while pointing out that abortion access does not depend on Democrats holding the White House, as chemical abortion remains protected by the Supreme Court.
As the night progressed, there was a disturbance inside the DNC delegate welcome party at Navy Pier. Additional protests are expected throughout the week as Harris formally accepts the party’s nomination.
Meanwhile, some 30 delegates, representing “uncommitted” votes, refused to support President Joe Biden in the primary due to his stance on Israel. Pro-Palestinian voters had chosen to cast uncommitted votes rather than support Biden, leading to his replacement on the ticket by Harris.
Protesters took credit for Biden’s removal from the ticket, claiming, “Genocide Joe would still be on the ticket if it were not for this movement … You, Vice President Harris, get to run for office because we ousted your predecessor right here in these streets!”