Pro-Palestine protests at Democrat conference: ‘They don’t want it to look like chaos’
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Protesters attempted to storm the Democratic National Convention in protest of the US' ongoing sale of arms to Israel.
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In brief...
- As Joe Biden spoke to crowds inside the Democratic National Convention, protesters gathered outside to oppose continuing sale of US weapons to Israel.
- The US is the world's biggest supplier of weapons to the country.
- Both Biden, and Kamala Harris, have called for a ceasefire in the Israel/Gaza conflict.
What's the story?
Inside the United Centre, it was all about Joe Biden and his legacy, as the President of the United States spoke to the crowd on the first day of the Democratic National Conference (DNC).
Outside, protesters yelled "f*** you Kamala", angry at the US stance on Israel/Gaza under the Democratic Party's leadership.
They were protesting against the continuing sale of arms to Israel, after its invasion of Gaza following the Hamas attack on 7 October 2023.
1,139 people were killed in the attack on Israel and over 200 civilians were taken hostage in Gaza. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ongoing retaliation in the months since, the Hamas-run health ministry says.
The News Agents are currently in Chicago to cover the convention, and Jon Sopel and Lewis Goodall were on the ground as the protesters attempted to break down fences and gain access to the conference hall.
The News Agents report from the Gaza war protest at the Democratic convention
What's the US stance on Israel and Gaza?
The US is the world's biggest supplier of arms to Israel, and has a 10-year deal with the country, under which it gives $3.8 billion (£3 billion) in military aid and supplies every year.
On 14 August 2024, it was confirmed that the US had agreed to supply Israel with an additional $20 billion in weapons, as tensions mounted between Israel and other neighbouring countries.
As the hundreds of thousands of people who have marched against the invasion of Gaza in the streets of London – and cities across the world – have shown, this has become one of the most pressing issues in politics today.
Despite the ongoing military support, Joe Biden has called for an "immediate ceasefire" in the region.
Kamala Harris has described the situation in Gaza as "devastating", saying Israel has a "right to defend itself, and how it does so matters".
More recently, she said that "far too many" civilians have been killed in the conflict, and called for a ceasefire and a hostage deal for the Israelis taken by Hamas after the 7 October attack.
The US, under both Democrat and Republican leadership, has pushed for a two-state solution and encouraged peace talks between Israel and Gaza, for decades.
What has Donald Trump said?
Pro-Gaza protesters are angry at the Democrat leadership for its continued supply of arms to Israel over the past 10 months, while Donald Trump and the Republican campaign has not been targeted in the same way – because it didn't happen while he held any power.
Trump has promised to deport any overseas students at US universities who protest in support of Gaza and in March this year, he told Israeli press the country must "finish up your war.”
A statement on Trump's stance, given to The Washington Post from his campaign press secretary read: “When President Trump is back in the Oval Office, Israel will once again be protected, Iran will go back to being broke, terrorists will be hunted down, and the bloodshed will end.”
What do The News Agents say?
"They don't want this convention to look like chaos, they don't want it to look like disorder," says Lewis.
"They don't want memories of 1968 hanging in the air.”
Up to 10,000 anti-war protesters descended on the 1968 Democratic convention to oppose the Vietnam war, which took place between 1955 to 1975.
"They don't want any sense that they've lost control of the streets and attract this stuff, so it will make them nervous, rightly so,” he adds.
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