Organizers Expected 30K DNC Protesters. On First Day, Far Fewer Showed Up

Hundreds of signs meant for protesters marching on the Democratic National Convention in Chicago were left piled on the ground, as organizers appeared to have greatly overestimated attendance for the main rally scheduled for the convention’s opening day.
While the Chicago Police Department did arrest a handful of protesters after a segment of the security perimeter was breached, it was understood that organizers planned for over 30,000 people. It appeared only a few thousand showed up at Union Park.
Those behind the protest were seeking to highlight the divisions within the party over the Biden administration’s support of Israel in its ongoing war in Gaza, as well as other issues.
Speeches throughout the afternoon, in the lead up to the convention’s first night, included calls for the U.S. to stop sending financial aid to Israel and reflections on protests that took over some college campuses in the spring.
The event continued despite last-minute restrictions implemented by the city, including limits on sound equipment.
“We’re proud of the turnout, especially considering the degree of the repression from the city,” organizer Faayani Aboma Mijana told the Associated Press.
Those who did join the march came from all over the country to voice their concerns alongside those from the city with one of the largest Palestinian communities in America.
In the past week, the Biden administration approved an extra $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel, while also dispatching Sec. of State Antony Blinken to the region in hopes of negotiating a ceasefire.
“We’re saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think it’s just Joe Biden, but she is vice president,” Taylor Cook, from the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, told the AP. “So we’re saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.”
Newsweek reached out to the March on the DNC coalition for further comment on Monday’s event.
Chicago PD said some protesters were able to breach a fence around the United Center, but added that officers contained the situation before it escalated.
“At no point was the inner perimeter breached, and there was no threat to any protectees,” the department said in a statement.
The Democratic National Council released its 2024 platform Monday which reaffirmed its support for Israel in its fight against Hamas.
The document also voices support for a “negotiated two-state solution” and an immediate ceasefire.
On Monday, Blinken said Israel had accepted a U.S.-backed ceasefire proposal and called for Hamas to accept it, too.
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