Hundreds pro-Palestinian protesters gathered in Chicago on day 3 of the DNC

(21 Aug 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chicago - 21 August 2024
1. Demonstrator holding sign reading (English) 'The DNC is not welcomed in Chicago'
2. Wide of demonstrators
3. Close of woman holding a sign reading (English) 'War Crimes Not Self Defense'
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Fedaa Ballouta, Demonstrator:
"We're here to send a message to the DNC (Democratic National Convention), because Chicago actually has one of the largest Palestinian communities in the entire nation. We literally have a place on Google called Little Palestine. And the Democratic Party will not get our vote if the genocide in Gaza doesn't end immediately. Our vote matters, and we know that."
5. Various of a cardboard cutout of Netanyahu's head with hands and red stripes on them
6. Demonstrators holding sign reading (English) 'The DNC is not welcomed in Chicago! Hands off the Middle East!"
7. Various of demonstrators chanting
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Fedaa Ballouta, Demonstrator:
"It doesn't change anything because neither of them (President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris) have done anything to stop the genocide in the past ten months. If anything, every single week we just see more money and more weaponry approved. And so same thing to us. And neither of them are getting our vote until that policy changes."
9. Ballouta with her family at protest
10. Various of demonstrators chanting, holding signs
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Mured Sawlha, Demonstrator:
"I feel like both sides right now they aren't understanding like our side of what we want. Because I know Kamala Harris and Trump says, Biden said he was like a Zionist, Trump supports Israel like. So I feel like right now what we're trying to do here is just to show, like, at least Kamala Harris, just help try to understand our side and hopefully get her to support us."
12. Various of Cornel West at rally
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Cornel West, independent presidential candidate, civil rights activist:
"Well, if you oppose genocide, you want to abolish poverty, you want to eliminate mass incarceration and you want to dismantle the American empire you will vote for the West-Abdullah ticket, it's a vote for you.
(Reporter: How do you feel about getting on the ballots?)
West: "Oh, we're making serious improvements."
14. Wide of cardboard cutout of Netanyahu and Biden's faces
15. Big cardboard puppet of a crying face and a sign reading (English) 'Why can't my children live?'
16. Close of sign reading (English) 'Shut the DNC down'
STORYLINE:
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters, including parents with children atop their shoulders, streamed into Union Park on the third day of the Democratic National Convention, marking a stark contrast to violent clashes between police and protesters the night before that led to 56 arrests.
The rally near the United Center was organized by the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, a Palestinian and Arab community-based organization.
It came one night after an intense standoff with Chicago police at a protest not affiliated with a coalition of more than 200 groups that has organized other permitted rallies and marches this week.
Palestinian-American Fedaa Ballouta, brought her children to the rally.
"The Democratic Party will not get our vote if the genocide in Gaza doesn't end immediately," said Ballouta. "Our vote matters, and we know that."
Cornel West addressed the rally on Wednesday linking the struggle of Palestinians to that of Black Americans.
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