Democrats fear outbreaks of pro-Palestinian violence at Democratic National Convention

As final preparations for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) wrap up, Democrats fear that anti-Israel protests called around the venue will overshadown Kamala Harris's consecration as the Democratic nominee.

It's not just a problem of optics, but organizers believe that the safety of Democratic representatives attending the convention could be at risk. That is why, as first revealed by Axios, congressmen received training and security guidelines such as not booking hotels in their name, not addressing protesters, and calling in any incident to security agents.

According to the same newspaper, a senior House Democrat explained that law enforcement instructed him and his colleagues to avoid a specific area, "because they expect violence."

Organizers believe that at the start of the DNC this Monday there will be hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators within the vicinity of the convention. A coalition of organizations grouped under the name March on the DNC 2024 say that, after getting the endorsement of city authorities, they will set up a stage.

At the moment, two main protests are expected: one on Monday and one on Thursday, both in Union Park. The questionable Students for Justice in Palestine also called for the marches to show Harris, Biden and their party that "genocide supporters are not welcome in our cities."

Behind Enemy Lines, another group planning to be present outside of the convention, criticized activists who make it a priority for the demonstrations to be peaceful.

"How is any protest going to be successful if it doesn’t challenge and disrupt business as usual to actually disturb the normal functioning of a society that is aiding and abetting a genocide?" it asked on its website, adding that no act of protest was "as effective" in 2020 as the burning of a police station in Minneapolis.

Indoor protests

Demonstrations began organizing even before Joe Biden stepped aside. The ambivalent stance on the war of his replacement did not convince activists, who kept rallying their own in Chicago.

While demonstrations against the Biden-Harris administration's Gaza policy are not new in this election cycle, and even include elected officials from the party among their champions, such as Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Harris herself has just started to become a new target these past few days. In the most recent episode, protesters clashed with law enforcement and threw smoke bombs after an event of the vice president's in New York.

The backlash against Harris raises concerns that part of the left-wing Democratic base will make good on its threat to hurt the party at the polls. The Democratic campaign will not have to wait until November, however, to feel the impact of this loss of support: unpledged delegates are reportedly planning to push pro-Palestinian demands within the convention itself.

Some 30 delegates from states such as Minnesota and Michigan, organized in the Uncommitted National Movement, will seek to push the pro-Palestinian agenda inside the convention hall. They are calling for, among other demands, an embargo on firearms shipped to Israel and the negotiation of a cease-fire.

As some of their members told The Washington Post, although they are not satisfied with the vice president's position, they do believe she is more open to dialogue with them than Biden.