Protesters in Chicago on the first day of the Democratic National Convention in August 2024. Photo by Robin Washington

By Robin Washington August 19, 2024

CHICAGO — If the opening day protest of the Democratic National Convention did not attract the tens of thousands predicted, it did mount impressive figures in terms of the numbers of groups represented — and the diversity of their viewpoints.

Speakers at the Coalition to March on the DNC rally at the Near West Side’s Union Park, a few blocks from the United Center where the convention was getting underway, lauded what they described as more than 250 groups who showed up.

“The Coalition to March on the DNC is a beautiful and broad coalition,” a speaker said at the opening of the rally.

Yet the gathering also attracted those clearly not aligned with its demand for the Democratic Party leadership to end arms sales to Israel and promote a Palestinian state. Among those with opposing points of view were a group marching with Israeli flags and a small group of men with a bullhorn denouncing LGBTQ+ individuals.

Challenging the latter in a cacophonous exchange was another man with a bullhorn, proclaiming that Jesus loves everyone regardless of orientation. But otherwise, most groups assembled undisturbed by those holding strongly differing views.

The Israeli flag bearers, many of whom wore T-shirts identifying themselves as members of Generation Zion, were not all Israeli, or even all Jewish.

“We have people who believe in a violent God and people who believe in no God at all, uniting themselves,” Anna Steinberg, who identified herself as an Orthodox Jewish Ukrainian refugee, said of the main body of protesters.

“And then we have people like Pastor Julian over here and myself, who are uniting together for humanity, for God.”

Her colleague, Martin Julian of Lake Zurich, Wisconsin, described posters of Dietrich Bonhoeffer displayed by many in their group.

“He was a German Christian that fought against what Hitler was doing to the Jews,” Julian said, acknowledging that few of the onlookers would recognize Bonhoeffer’s face.

“No, but that’s how you get educated, right?”

In what amounted to a main stage in the center of the park, speakers like Sara Mahmoud of the National Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression delivered a more unambiguous message.

“As we witnessed the criminal genocide in Gaza continue on for over 300 days, we say, ‘Shame, shame!’” she said, leading the crowd in a chant. “A genocide executed by the criminal Zionist government with the full diplomatic cover and financial support from the U.S., say ‘Shame!’”

She added: “We’re all here today from all across this country to make it clear that we say genocide is not welcome here. We make it clear that we will not be casting any ballot for anybody who oversees the genocide, the indiscriminate murder of Palestinian children, families and future. We know Palestine will be liberated in this lifetime, and it’s because Palestine is a struggle for justice for all people!”

Among Jewish groups allied with the March on the DNC Coalition were Neturei Karta, an Orthodox group opposed to Zionism, protesters holding a banner proclaiming “Jewish Hoosiers for a Free Palestine,” and Jewish Voice for Peace, which spokeswoman Mollie Hartenstein of  Chicago said brought out 150 of its members.

“I think it’s a great turnout,” she said. “I think that everyone is here to fight for freedom and justice for all people and to center what solidarity really looks and feels like.”

In the long-planned march following the rally that took protesters within blocks of the convention venue, a handful were arrested after breaching a security fence. Also, ahead of the route, anti-abortion activists got into a shouting match for about 15 minutes with individual protesters displaying reproductive rights regalia. A police cordon surrounded the adversaries but made no arrests.

From Union Park, the march route snaked west for a mile, headed north a few blocks, then circled back east under the L tracks to the park, where speeches concluded the event.

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