On the ground at the DNC
From the sizeable open bar to the more meager gathering protests.
CHICAGO — I’m on the ground in the Windy City this week for the Democratic National Convention, which opened with a welcome party Sunday night inside the storied Field Museum (pictured below), where over mini-hot dogs and a prodigious open bar, Democrats couldn’t contain their excitement about their stunning reversal of fortune in this election cycle.
“I’m a convert! I’m totally on board,” gushed one Democratic operative, swirling a plastic cup of vodka and ice. A onetime Harris skeptic, her spurt of joy emanated from relief that Joe Biden was not the nominee. “Imagine what this party would’ve been like if we still had Joe.”
Another operative acknowledged that though Kamala Harris hadn’t been truly tested yet, the first month of her slapdash campaign couldn’t be going better.
The formal convention won’t gavel into session until 6:30 PM EST/5:30 PM CST Monday evening, so the daytime action is about a half mile east of the United Center in Union Park, where pro-Palestinian protesters are gathering for a march to condemn the Democratic Party’s support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
A morning press conference to kick off an afternoon march produced a meager amount of marchers for a national convention. Hundreds, maybe a couple thousand at most — but far from the 30,000 to 40,000 that some had projected. That could still change into the afternoon, but this doesn’t look anything like 1968.
“This is the Vietnam of our generation,” declared Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network.
Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the Coalition, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, went on to label the Democratic nominee as “Killer Kamala Harris.”
Others then stepped up to the mic to broaden the issue pool beyond Gaza — a risk and potential sign that the group’s mission was unfocused.
There was a call for a Harris-Walz administration to deliver on immigration reform within 100 days of their administration, a declaration that U.S. troops should withdraw from Korea and the Philippines and critiques of policing policies in the wake of the 2020 death of George Floyd. They list seven demands but note an end to U.S. aid to Israel as their paramount concern.
With the march set for the United Center this afternoon, it’s unlikely the demonstrators will get very close to many DNC delegates, given that DNC programming doesn’t begin until the early evening.
One potential hiccup to look for: The March on the DNC has been restricted to a 1.1 mile route and they are pushing to get closer to the United Center.
If you’d like in-the-moment updates from the DNC, check out my Instagram feed HERE.