The Democratic National Convention begins Monday in Chicago with roughly 50,000 people expected to arrive in the Windy City. Here’s the latest as it gets underway.
Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waving during her arrival at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago on Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024.
Thousands of activists calling for ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war have begun their march towards the United Center, where the Democratic National Convention is taking place. “We now have energy and excitement that is at a greater level than it has been,” said Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which works to elect Democrats to state legislatures. “Our battleground states align really nicely with key presidential battlegrounds. I think in places like Michigan and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin and Arizona there’s good overlap.”
“He’s going to make the case of the moment that we’re in,” she said. “This is a fulfilling moment for him.”Protesters gathered in Union Park as a series of speakers addressed the crowd Monday afternoon ahead of a planned march. “We should not have to choose whose lives we value in an election. And taking a stand against genocide should not be treated like a fringe issue, and we are going to make sure it is not treated like a fringe issue,” he said. “Some people think social change is made by delegates in the DNC, but in reality it is made by us and it is made in the streets.”
In an interview on the sidelines of the Democratic National Convention on Monday, Frost said the change is “not just because of President Biden, I’ve not seen with a lot of candidates before.” So he decided to run for the New York Assembly and told his barber — also a local bookie — who gave him 50-to-1 odds of winning.
Josh Weiner, co-founder of Chicago Jewish Alliance and walking with the pro-Israel group, said their intent was to “make our presence felt.”“The pro-Palestine protesters have gotten multiple permits, including a march, which seems to be a little bit weighted on one side,” Weiner said.The speech, which will follow remarks by first lady Jill Biden, is expected to serve as a sort of political farewell for the president, who abandoned his bid for a second term amid concerns about his age.
“We must vote against genocide,” Stein said during an Abandon Harris news conference. “In fact, there is no lesser evil. We have two greater evils: One conducting genocide now, the other saying to finish the job right now.” The Abandon Biden movement has focused on the president’s handling of the deadly war in Gaza and the flow of U.S. military aid to Israel as it responds to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack. But at an event Monday, the group rebranded to Abandon Harris, saying the vice president’s inability to differentiate herself from Biden’s handling of the war is not acceptable.
Police Superintendent Larry Snelling praised police and march organizers for a peaceful Sunday night protest he said went off without any problems. He said officers stood ready to ensure the demonstrations stay peaceful throughout the week. As hundreds of the people in the crowd hoisted their cellphones to film and take selfies while he spoke from the nearby podium, Walz suggested Harris had reset the race since President Joe Biden gave up his reelection bid and endorsed her last month.
“We’re going to do it in English. We’re going to do it in Spanish. We’re going to do it in Spanglish,” Rodriguez said to cheers, referencing Hispanics that are bilingual or mostly speak one or the other. Democrats posted record online House fundraising in the immediate aftermath of Harris’ rise to the top of ticket. But Johnson told House Republicans in a private call last week he was transferring $4 million he had raised to their own campaign committee, according to a person familiar with the situation and granted anonymity to discuss the private talk.
Other media outlets, both local and national, will stream whatever is happening on the floor. The actual space itself is closed to the public, behind several layers of security accessible only to delegates, officials, volunteers and credentialed media.
“Politicians worry about the next election. Statesmen worry about the next generation,” said Richmond, who called Biden “a statesman who will pass the baton on to Kamala Harris to continue to put this country first.” “Joe Biden made a selfless, heroic decision, and it’ll be awesome to celebrate him tonight,” Democratic Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida told The Associated Press. “And then we’re going to look to the future and pivot.”
“We’re saying to Kamala, she has been complicit in this. People think it’s just Joe Biden, but she is vice president,” Cook said. “So we’re saying, you need to stop if you want our vote.”“I’ve been an organizer for a few years now, and I have never been to a march that is predicted to be this big,” Cook added.Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz appeared at the breakfast of the Wisconsin delegation, declaring to cheers, “I can’t say enough about my neighbors.
That’s especially true in the 2024 Democratic convention, since the ceremonial vote is non-binding and cannot undo or modify the results of the earlier, official vote to nominate Harris held over five days in the first week of August. That’s not to say there can’t be some attempt to stage a protest vote from the convention floor, but it won’t have any effect on the outcome.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson urged Vice President Kamala Harris to embrace an agenda that would “push for economic stability and growth for working people.” Johnson, who on Sunday described Chicago as “one of the most diverse communities in the country,” defended the city’s record on race and inclusion as it grapples with historic challenges like the migrant crisis and debates over racial equity.At the Florida delegation breakfast, Democrats started the session by making note of the turmoil that rocked their party in the last few months leading up to the convention.
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