NEW YORK, Aug 20 : Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in Chicago on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday, in a show of anger against the Biden administration\u2019s support for Israel in the Gaza war, now in its 11 month.
\nThe 4-day convention, in which more that 50,000 delegates from across the country are participating, is being broadcast live. It is set to officially endorse Vice President Kamala Devi Harris as the Democratic Party\u2019s nominee for the November presidential election in which she will face the Republican challenger, former president Donald Trump.
\nMonday\u2019s massive protest against the Biden administration actions in the Israel war in Gaza is a sharp reminder of the divisions that still dog the party despite a show of unity for its new candidate.
\nAbout 5,000 protesters gathered in Chicago\u2019s Union Park on Monday, carrying signs reading, \u201cStop the War,\u201d \u201cWe\u2019re trying to help you, Kamala\u201d and \u201cAbandon Harris \u201924.\u201d
\nAfter hours of peaceful demonstrations, dozens of protesters broke through part of the perimeter security fence, drawing riot police to the site, TV footage showed.
\nThe DNC\u2019s security team confirmed that protesters breached a portion of the fencing on the outer perimeter near the convention arena but said law enforcement personnel acted quickly and there was no threat to attendees.
\nFour people detained and placed in handcuffs. Chicago police confirmed at a press conference that arrests were made but did not say how many.
\nChanting intensified ahead of the fence breach, as protesters reached a neighbourhood park on Chicago\u2019s West Side and paused to amplify their calls for a ceasefire. Amid the noise, the crowd turned its frustration toward Vice President Kamala Harris, referring to the Democratic candidate as \u201cKiller Kamala\u201d.
\nChicago police formed a perimeter around the park on foot to contain protesters, with some police members on bikes.
\nStill, the umbrella group \u201cMarch on the DNC\u201d drew fewer supporters than expected to a park outside the convention arena, hours before President Joe Biden was to address the gathering.
\nAnother large protest was scheduled for Thursday, when Ms. Harris is due to formally accept the nomination.
\nPro-Palestinian groups have for months protested the Biden administration\u2019s military and financial support for Israel in its war in Gaza, which has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials.
\nProtests swelled on U.S. college campuses in the spring, with police clearing student encampments, at times after confrontations between protesters and
\n\u201cThe Democrats are the ones in power,\u201d Hatem Abudayyeh, executive director of the Arab American Action Network, on Monday. \u201cIt\u2019s their war. They\u2019re responsible for it, they\u2019re complicit, and they can stop it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW YORK, Aug 20 : Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters marched in Chicago on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday, in a show of anger against the Biden administration\u2019s support for Israel in the Gaza war, now in its 11 month. […]<\/p>\n
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