(Rightallegiance.com) – Several protest groups gathered on Sunday at Union Park to prepare for a “massive mobilization for Palestine” on Monday, coinciding with the opening of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago. These groups have been locked in a federal court battle with the city over the terms of their protest.
The Coalition to March on the DNC, a collective of nearly 270 organizations across the United States, secured permits to protest on both Monday and Thursday. However, organizers argue that the city’s imposed restrictions are “unreasonable.” Specifically, they were approved for a 1.1-mile march near the United Center, but they are demanding a 2.4-mile route. The coalition asserts that the shorter route is inadequate, particularly since it includes narrow residential streets that cannot accommodate the large number of participants expected to join the protest. The protesters aim to voice their opposition to U.S. aid to Israel, which has been intensified in light of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The unrest stems from Israel’s military actions in Gaza, which began after Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages. Since then, the Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 40,000 Palestinians have died.
According to organizers, individuals from 21 states, including groups arriving by charter bus from four states, will converge at Union Park on Monday morning. They argue that the city’s shorter route infringes on their right to protest by creating a bottleneck that would prevent them from being “within sight and sound of the DNC.”
“This isn’t just a march for students and young people. This is families coming out to send a message. So, we need to have a safe secure march for everybody,” said Abla Abdelkader, a leader of Chicago’s Students for Justice in Palestine and a student at the University of Illinois Chicago. Abdelkader plans to attend the Monday protest with her family.
Despite the city’s restrictions, the coalition remains steadfast in its demand for the longer route until the march begins at 2 p.m. on Monday. Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the coalition, believes that once city officials witness the gathering crowd at Union Park—anticipated to begin at 9 a.m. with pre-march speeches at noon—they will recognize the need for a longer route. When asked if protesters would adhere to the approved route, Abudayyeh replied, “We have a philosophy in Chicago that the numbers dictate what the route is.”
While the protesters were granted permission on Friday to set up stages, sound equipment, and a few port-a-potties in the park, the city has denied the use of media risers and canopy tents, which organizers say are crucial for shading medics and de-escalation support.
City officials have expressed concerns that the protests could escalate, but organizers are confident they can maintain peace during Monday’s and Thursday’s marches. “The only worry about violence is violence coming from Chicago police and other police,” Abudayyeh stated. “They’re only responsible for one thing: to make sure they don’t infringe on our First Amendment rights.”
Chicago Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez of the 25th Ward attended Sunday’s gathering in support of the coalition and encouraged participants to continue voicing their opinions. Sigcho-Lopez was a vocal supporter of a cease-fire resolution passed by Chicago in February, making it the largest U.S. city to do so. The resolution passed with Mayor Brandon Johnson casting the tie-breaking vote. In a Mother Jones article published Saturday, Johnson referred to the Israel-Hamas war as “genocidal.”
Abudayyeh praised the mayor but criticized the “conservative leanings” within other city departments, such as the Police Department, for the obstacles the coalition has faced.
The March on the DNC was originally planned to advocate for the “rights and liberation of all oppressed people,” but the recent violence in Gaza and U.S. aid to Israel have now become central issues. Marc Daniels, a 69-year-old Jewish man from Springfield, Illinois, stumbled upon the protest on his way back to his hotel and decided to stay and listen to the coalition’s demands, despite the rain. Daniels, who came to Chicago to distribute yarmulkes with the slogan “Make abortion Kosher again” to DNC officials, stated, “Everyone has the right to protest. I’m not qualified to do the geopolitics, not no way, no how. But we need to find a way to lift people above this part of it, and I think the Muslims and the Jews need to find a way to talk to each other, engage in a dialogue here in the U.S.”
In addition, other Jewish groups have joined Palestinians in daily demonstrations at Buckingham Fountain during the DNC, running along Chicago’s lakefront in solidarity and calling for a cease-fire in Gaza.