Democratic and anti-war groups in the US continue to protest against the Israeli genocide supported by their government. This week, they took the protest to Chicago, where the Democrat party convention was being held to formally nominate Kamala Harris, the current vice president of the country, as its presidential candidate in the November election. Protests were held throughout the four days of the convention from August 19 to 21.

Led by the Coalition to March on the DNC (Democratic National Convention), the rallyists gathered in Chicago’s Union Park to demand that the genocide against Palestine be a major issue of the convention. They called for the immediate cessation of military aid to Israel and a ceasefire in Gaza. The coalition is made up of over 200 local and national activist groups in the US.

One of these organizations is the Freedom Road Socialist Organization that stands firm to hold US Pres. Joseph Biden, Harris and even vice presidential candidate Tim Walz accountable on war crimes in Gaza. It said that it is not true that their opposition to the DNC will result in the victory of Donald Trump, candidate of the rival Republican party. “They (Biden, Harris, Walz) will bring defeat upon themselves,” the group said. “Politicians who want the support of progressives will have to earn it. Those who enable genocide, who embrace Israel, have lost the support of many and will lose the support of many more.”

The coalition is very disappointed that Harris has not laid out a concrete agenda in relation to the policy of inciting and supporting the genocide in Gaza. Her stance remains in line with the current administration of her president and party mate Biden in actively funding, supporting and defending Israel.

In fact, a few days before the convention, the Biden administration even announced providing an additional $20 billion in aid to Israel. It also sent warships, destroyers, submarines and fighter squadrons to the Middle East to support Israel in its attacks against Lebanon and Iraq.

“Without US support, Israel would not prevail,” FRSO added.

About 2,500 police were deployed to the convention to ensure the protests were “peaceful”. They arrested 13 demonstrators on the first day, and 56 more for “unauthorized protests” in front of the Israeli consulate.

No Palestinian-American was allowed to speak at the convention, one of the demands of the “uncommitted” movement that emerged within the party. The “uncommitted” are made up of Democrats who declared that they will not be voting for Harris until she commits to stopping the support for the genocide in Gaza.