On Wednesday night, members of the progressive “Squad,” including Representatives Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, and Summer Lee of Pennsylvania, participated in a protest outside the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. The protest, organized by a group of 36 uncommitted DNC delegates, occurred shortly after the parents of an American hostage, taken by Palestinian terrorists, addressed the convention.
The uncommitted delegates, who had refused to support President Joe Biden in the primary due to his administration’s stance on Israel, demanded that a Palestinian representative be allowed to speak at the convention. This sit-in followed a poignant speech by Rachel Goldberg-Polin and Jon Polin, the parents of 23-year-old Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of the Americans abducted by Hamas during an attack on the Nova Music Festival on October 7, 2023. The parents wore tape with the number 320, marking the number of days their son has been held captive in Gaza.
Rachel shared the harrowing details of the attack, explaining that Hersh’s left forearm was severed before he was taken into Gaza. Jon emphasized that bringing the hostages home is a humanitarian issue, not a political one. The speech received standing ovations from the convention attendees.
Following the address, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez posted on X, urging that the humanity of both hostages and the 40,000 Palestinians killed in Israeli bombardments be recognized. She later addressed the protestors via video chat, supporting their demands. Rep. Ilhan Omar joined the protest in person, embracing Abbas Alawieh, a leader of the uncommitted delegates, who wore a scarf resembling the one popularized by Yasser Arafat, the former head of the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
Rep. Summer Lee also participated, expressing disappointment when the DNC offered a meeting with staffers but refused to allow a Palestinian to speak on stage. Alawieh rejected the DNC’s response, insisting that the group would not leave until their demands were met. The uncommitted delegates have warned that they may abstain from voting in the November election if Vice President Kamala Harris does not call for an arms embargo against Israel and demand an immediate ceasefire in the conflict with Palestinian terrorists. They have also promised to disrupt the convention if their demands are not addressed.