https://www.marchondnc2024.org/statements

SELECTED STATEMENTS

Coalition to March on the DNC


Friday, August 23rd, 2024

Media contact: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC and National Chair of USPCN

11,000 march on final day of DNC to demand end to all U.S. aid to Israel


Plus Coalition responds to Harris’ Palestine / Gaza comments and CPD’s “victory lap”


After its 20,000-strong march on the DNC for Palestine on Monday, the Coalition to March on the DNC brought together 11,000 more people on Thursday, August 22nd, to protest the Democrats on the closing night of the convention.


“The final impression of this week is that a combined almost 40,000 people from communities the Democrats claim to represent marched on the DNC to demand a stop to the genocide and an end to all U.S. aid to Israel,” said Nazek Sankari, co-chair of USPCN-Chicago and co-MC of the Monday protest. USPCN is a leading member of the Coalition to March on the DNC. 


Most notably during the Thursday protest, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) attempted to cut it short, but the Coalition held firmly on Lake Street (just north of the DNC) to ensure it was still rallying as Killer Kamala took the stage to address the convention in the United Center. 


“Our mass mobilization is impossible to ignore,” said Husam Marajda, co-chair of USPCN-Chicago, near the end of the march. “The DNC would have loved to just talk about Trump and how great of a president Biden is, but guess what: all of the media couldn’t stop talking about the genocide on Palestine this week because of our organizing. And we’re going to keep organizing until Palestine is free.”


On Wednesday, the local Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine (CJP), of which USPCN is also a leading member, mobilized 8,000 protesters against the DNC.


Kamala Harris gives her acceptance speech


As expected, Vice President Kamala Harris accepted her party’s nomination and gave a speech that Palestinians and our supporters expected, saying, “I will always stand up for Israel’s right to defend itself, and I will always ensure Israel has the ability to defend itself,” with the second clause a direct rejection of calls for an arms embargo. 


She added: “President Biden and I are working around the clock, because now is the time to get a hostage deal and the ceasefire deal done.” 


“We heard nothing new. Leading with Israel's right to defend itself in the wake of 40,000 massacred Palestinians is absolutely tone deaf, and calling for a ceasefire, without explaining that Netanyahu keeps moving the goalposts on the original July 2nd proposal that the Unified Palestinian Resistance agreed to, is nothing but lip service,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, USPCN National Chair and a spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC. “The ‘desperate hungry people [Palestinians] fleeing for safety over and over again’ who Harris described are desperate, hungry, and fleeing for safety because they are getting bombed and displaced every day by the U.S.-funded Israeli military.”


“Harris presented nothing that would prompt Arabs, Palestinians, and our supporters to say anything different than we have all week, which is that her policies are the same as the policies of Biden, so we must continue to demand that the U.S. and Harris implement an arms embargo and stop sending weapons and all other aid to Israel,” added Abudayyeh.


CPD tries to take a “victory lap”


Throughout the week, the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and its Superintendent Larry Snelling has been continuously heaping praise on his officers in daily press briefings. But the Coalition to March on the DNC has a different interpretation of the CPD’s work this week.


Here is its statement: “WE Keep Us Safe; CPD is not a friend to the movement for Palestinian rights and only instigated and exacerbated problems for our protests.”

Protests a resounding success


As of today, over 40,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel, two million have been displaced, and the entire Gaza Strip has been reduced to rubble. Meanwhile, more and more horrific reports and videos show massacres, tortures, and rape by the Israeli military against the Palestinian people. To date, the Democratic Party has not taken any concrete action to stop the worst catastrophe of the century, and continues to parrot Israeli military and government talking points.


But with 20,000 protesters on Monday, 8,000 on Wednesday, and 11,000 on Thursday, organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC, USPCN, and CJP, respectively, declared victory and were able to explain why to hundreds of reporters and cameras from Chicago, the U.S., and the world.


“We are extremely happy with not only the turnout, but the qualitative goals that we set and accomplished,” said Abudayyeh. “We’ve been saying for months that the whole world will be watching, and it was. It watched people – Black, Latino, Asian, Native American, African, South Asian, white, etc. – representing all different issues, such as immigrant rights, the movement to stop police crimes, Black liberation, women’s and reproductive rights, workers’ rights, environmental rights, and so many others, project their stories and problems with the Democratic Party, but also say strongly and clearly that the central issue of these protests is Palestine, and in a unified voice, they all said, ‘End all U.S. aid to Israel, stop the genocide, and free Palestine!’”


“The other thing we said is that this was going to be the event of the season, and it was,” Abudayyeh added. “The exciting, newsworthy part of the week wasn’t what happened at the United Center, though. It was what we did in the streets, which was a historic accomplishment that folks will be talking about for years.”   


More information on the Coalition and its almost 300 organizational members at marchondnc2024.org. And check out great video and pics of the protests on Twitter at @MarchOnDNC2024, @uspcn, and @CAARPRNow, and on the Coalition’s Instagram, USPCN’s, or Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression’s (CAARPR’s).
Friday, August 23, 2024
Media contacts: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) National Chair
Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the Coalition, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR)

Statement: WE Kept Us Safe. CPD is not a friend to the movement for Palestinian rights and only instigated and exacerbated problems for our protest

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is not a friend to the movement for Palestinian rights, or to any of the social justice movements represented in the Coalition to March on the DNC. CPD has no right to take credit for the work of our Coalition, which kept protesters safe and secure for the entire week of the DNC, when it spent months trying to stop us from getting permits and limiting the amenities we could use to keep the people safe. Our marshals and safety team deescalated many tense situations, while police only instigated and exacerbated problems.

The original rejection of our permit applications was the work of CPD, and if it were not for our federal lawsuit and community organizing pressure on the city's law department, the powers that be would have been perfectly satisfied with burying us at Columbus Drive, a clear violation of our First Amendment rights. Many weeks ago, Superintendent Larry Snelling threatened our Coalition and DNC protesters with mass arrests, before being forced to retract his statements by our organizing and additional pressure from Chicago's federal consent decree legal coalition.

We want to especially call out Deputy Chief Duane DeVries, for interfering in our direct negotiations with city officials in the weekend leading up to the protests, as he unsuccessfully attempted to reverse our victories and permits regarding stage, sound, and other resources.

As mentioned in numerous press reports, the incredibly tight lining -- especially on Monday -- of our marches with bicycle CPD cops on both sides of protesters put us in unsafe situations, forcing our marshals to struggle to navigate around the bicycles to maintain safety.

Finally, on Thursday night, CPD commanders threatened mass arrests again, this time when 11,000 of us stopped under the Chicago L train tracks on Lake Street just north of the United Center. We were chanting and cheering the incredible success of our week of protests, holding our community space specifically because we wanted to make certain that we were still protesting while Kamala Harris was accepting the nomination. Despite the threats, we were not intimidated and held our ground, eventually ending the march and protest on our own terms at Union Park over an hour later.

The Coalition, especially its Chicago-based members, supports the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression's (CAARPR's) campaign for community control of the police, and will work tirelessly to pass a Chicago referendum to win it.

And lastly, we demand that all charges against protesters from this week's DNC actions, and all protesters since October, including the O'Hare arrestees, be dropped.

### End ###

Thursday, August 22nd, 2024
Media contacts: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) National Chair

Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the Coalition, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR)

11,000 March on Final Day of DNC to Demand an End to All U.S. Aid to Israel

After its 20,000-strong march on the DNC for Palestine on Monday, the Coalition to March on the DNC today brought together 11,000 more people to march on the DNC on the closing night of the convention.


“The final impression of this week is that a combined 30,000+ people from communities the Democrats claim to represent marched on the DNC to demand a stop to the genocide and an end to all U.S. aid to Israel,” said Nadiah Alyafai, member of USPCN. 


Most notably during the protest, CPD attempted to cut the protest short, but the coalition held firmly on Lake Street to ensure it was still rallying as Killer Kamala took the stage to address the convention in the United Center.. 


“Our mass mobilization is impossible to ignore,” said Husam Marajda, member of USPCN. “The DNC would have loved to just talk about Trump and how great of a president Biden is, but guess what: all of the media couldn’t stop talking about the genocide on Palestine this week because of our organizing. And we’re  going to keep organizing until U.S. aid to Israel is ended and Palestine is free.”


As of today, over 40,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel, two million have been displaced, and the entire Gaza Strip has been reduced to rubble. Meanwhile, more and more horrific reports and videos show massacres, tortures, and rape. To date, the Democratic Party has not taken any concrete action to stop the worst catastrophe of the century.


More information at marchondnc2024.org. 


The Coalition to March on the DNC represents over 270 organizations that fight for the rights and liberation of oppressed people. The coalition will march and protest on August 19th and 22nd, the first and last days of the DNC, to lift up seven demands, the principal one being Stand with Palestine and End U.S. Aid to Israel. The others include 1) Money for Jobs, School, Healthcare, Housing, and Environment, Not for War; 2) Immigrant Rights and Legalization for All ; 3) Defend LGBTQ & Reproductive Rights; 4) Defend the Right to Unionize and Strike; 5) Stop Police Crimes and Support Community Control of the Police Now; and 6) Justice, Peace, and Equality for All.

Thursday, August 22nd, 2024

Media contacts: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) National Chair

Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the Coalition, Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR)

Coalition set for second protest for Palestine on final day of DNC

What: Press conference to mark the second protest to be held by the Coalition to March on the DNC; followed by rally and march

When: TODAY, Thursday, August 22nd, at 3 PM; followed by rally at 5 PM & march at 6:30 PM

Where: Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph St., Chicago

**Note: media will not be required to check in for this march**

On Thursday, August 22nd, organizers with the Coalition to March on the DNC will hold a 3 PM press conference at Union Park followed by a rally and march for Palestine to start at 5 PM. This march will take place on the closing day of the DNC and comes after the Coalition held a protest on the first day, Monday, August 19th, which drew 20,000 strong to demand an end to all U.S. aid to Israel. 

The genocidal Democratic Party leadership could not ignore the Coalition’s level of mobilization and organization, with Genocide Joe Biden himself saying, “those protestors out on the street, they have a point.”

“Organizing works! This slight shift in narrative, finally, from Biden comes on the heels of 20,000+ people that the Coalition to March on the DNC mobilized into the streets Monday, calling for him and Harris to stop the genocide and to end U.S. aid to Israel,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the coalition. “At the same time, we don’t just need words, we need action.”

This second march held by the coalition will raise the same demands as the first: Stand with Palestine and End All U.S. Aid to Israel – as well as all the other peoples’ demands.

“Following our historic mobilization for Palestine earlier this week, it’s important that we keep up the momentum and keep putting pressure on the powers that be to stop the genocide and end U.S. aid to Israel,” said Kobi Guillory, co-chair of the Coalition. “If anything is to change, it’s because we built a mass movement that forced these genocidal politicians to do what we want.”

### End ###
Friday, August 16, 2024
Media contact: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) National Chair

Friday 2:30 PM Court Hearing Canceled, Presser to be Held at 3 PM as Coalition to March on the DNC Wins Stage, Amplified Sound Set for Palestine Rally.

Leaders of the Coalition to March on the DNC are claiming another victory in their fight for the right to protest and march. Attend the press conference TODAY, Friday, August 16th, at 3 PM; COURT HEARING AT 2:30 PM CANCELED!

WHERE: Outside Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn, downtown Chicago.

“The Law Department had to drop their unconstitutional denial of a sound system,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the coalition. “They knew it wouldn’t hold up in court, but they also knew that we have been organizing day and night to line up important supporters in Chicago who helped advocate for us too.”

This is another in a long string of victories for the coalition coming out of a federal lawsuit and widespread community campaign. In an agreement with coalition attorney Chris Williams, the City of Chicago agreed the protesters could assemble a stage and sound system for speeches in Union Park prior to their marches on the United Center on Monday and Thursday of next week. 

The Coalition also got the City to agree to allow them to set up at least seven portable toilets at Union Park in what became an almost absurd dispute. 

See email agreement attached. 

These wins follow earlier wins of a protest route within “sight and sound” of the DNC and getting access to a stage for speeches at Park 578 just north of the United Center during the marches. 

The Coalition vowed to keep fighting through other avenues to extend the length of the protest march route, to allow for more portable toilets, and to allow for tents in Union Park to house medics and media.

Over 200 organizations across the country have joined the Coalition to March on the DNC, and are making plans to mobilize to Chicago on the week of August 19th. More information at marchondnc2024.org. 


## End ##

August 18, 2024

Media contacts: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) National Chair; Faayani Aboma Mijana, a spokesperson for the Coalition and Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) organizer

20,000 march to demand end to all U.S. aid to Israel on 1st day of DNC

On Monday, August 19th, 2024, after nearly a year of preparation, the Coalition to March on the DNC successfully completed its first march of the week with 20,000 people setting off from Union Park and marching within sight and sound of the United Center to let the genocidal Democratic Party leadership know that they stand with Palestine and want to end all U.S. aid to Israel.

Over 40,000 Palestinians have been murdered by Israel, two million have been displaced, and the entire Gaza Strip has been reduced to rubble. Meanwhile, more and more horrific reports and videos show massacres, tortures, and rape. To date, the Democratic Party has not taken any concrete action to stop the worst catastrophe of the century.


“The Palestinians of Gaza are trying to survive a genocide, and the administration that supplies and gives Israel the green light to murder our people is celebrating in our city,” said USPCN’s Nesreen Hasan, who gave the first keynote of the day in the name of one of the leading Palestinian organizations in the Coalition. 


Behind the protests is a coalition of over 270 organizations from all across the U.S., composed of people of all ages and representing all sectors of the movement – including the fight for Black liberation, immigrant rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, worker’s rights, the environment, and more. Altogether, these organizations and the people marching on the DNC are the very people that the Democratic Party claim to represent.


“Working and oppressed people have been ignored for too long in this country,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, National Chair of USPCN and a spokesperson for the Coalition. “But we clearly see that, while there is a steady deterioration in our rights and living conditions here, the U.S. government – and particularly the Democratic Party – wholeheartedly send tens of billions of dollars to Israel to assist in its heinous genocide. We’re organizing to stop that.”


“If anything has shown itself to be true, it’s that the source of change won’t be from within the Democratic Party,” said Faayani Aboma Mijana, also a spokesperson for the Coalition. “That’s why our focus is to build a mass movement that can fight for the very changes this country needs.”


More information at marchondnc2024.org. And check out great video and pics of the Monday protest on social media on Twitter at @MarchOnDNC2024 and @uspcn, and on the Coalition’s Instagram or USPCN’s.


### End ###

Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Media contact: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) National Chair

BREAKING: City grants permits, but blocks MoDNC Coalition rallies for Palestine

Emergency press conference Thursday, August 15th, at 11 AM, at City Hall, with Coalition leaders; Rossana Rodriguez-Sanchez, Byron Sigcho-Lopez, and other Alders; and more allies. Coalition protest at 4 PM, also at City Hall.
 
WHEN: TOMORROW, Thursday, August 15th, 2024; Press conference at 11 AM, Protest at 4 PM
 
WHERE: Chicago City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle St., downtown Chicago

The City of Chicago has notified Coalition to March on the DNC organizers that they are permitted to assemble and march with the tens of thousands preparing to join next week's protests outside the DNC, but has attached outrageous conditions that make it impossible for their messages about ending U.S. aid for Israel and stopping the Biden, Harris, and Democratic Party-supported Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people of Gaza to be heard.

A letter sent to organizers today says, in part, “Your requests to use Park 578 and the Field at Union Park for rallies on August 19 and August 22, 2024, as described in your applications to the Park District, are granted, subject to the following conditions: no stages or platforms, portable restrooms or toilets, tents or canopies, or sound equipment may be installed by your organization.”

Many of these restrictions, but especially “no sound equipment,” is an unvarnished attempt to silence dissenting voices, in violation of the right to free speech. Tens of thousands are expected to march, and amplified sound is critical not only to making sure their message is heard, but also to giving clear direction to the crowd about when and where to march. 

The City routinely allows the restricted items in Union Park and other public venues, including at dozens of concerts per year, but claims that sound equipment, tents, canopies, and portable toilets present a safety concern next week. They do not. Instead, the City is placing special and unreasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech of those protesting the Democratic National Convention.

“Again, the City of Chicago has blindsided us and restricted our rights,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition, and National Chair of one of its leading organizations, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). “We don’t believe that any of the previous restrictions are content-based, but this one clearly is. Someone doesn’t want us to talk about Palestine, about Genocide Joe and Killer Kamala’s support of genocide, and this is an egregious violation of our rights.”

Coalition attorney Chris Williams will file an emergency injunction to stop the City from imposing these restrictions, and will make arguments at a motion (previously status) hearing, also tomorrow, Thursday, August 15th, at 1:30 PM. Members of the public and media may call in to listen to the hearing. The call-in number is 888.557.8511, and the access code is 3547847. 

The City claims some of the restrictions are needed because multiple organizations want to rally or protest during the DNC. This excuse falls apart next to the fact that through the permit process, the City identifies exactly when the permitted group’s access to a space begins and ends.

Finally, Coalition organizers continue to be concerned about a short march route that federal judge Andrea Wood upheld Monday night. The route proposed by the City is not adequate for the large number of protesters expected.

Over 200 organizations across the country have joined the Coalition to March on the DNC, and are mobilizing to Chicago for the week of August 19th.

## End ##

Tuesday, August 13th, 2024

Media contact: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) National Chair

  

Judge rules against Coalition to March on the DNC’s attempt to win a longer route; status hearing still on for Tuesday, August 13th, in Chicago


Press conference with Coalition reps and their lawyer after the hearing

 

WHEN: TODAY, Tuesday, August 13th, 2024; Hearing at 2:30 PM, press conference follows immediately 

 

WHERE: Dirksen Federal Building, 219 S. Dearborn Street, downtown Chicago; Hearing in Room 2141, press conference in the lobby 


After five months in federal court, Judge Andrea Wood ruled against four leading organizations in the Coalition to March on the DNC, writing that the City of Chicago met its legal burden by allowing protesters to march within sight and sound of the United Center, even though the Coalition argued that a longer route is necessary to accommodate the tens of thousands of protesters expected at the convention next week. 


“We are disappointed in the decision and still believe strongly that not only did we make a compelling argument, but also that we’ve proven it is in the best interests of everyone to give us the longer, straighter route,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, National Chair of USPCN and a spokesperson for the Coalition. “We already won sight and sound, proving that the city attorneys were violating our First Amendment rights, but kept fighting to make certain that all the protesters we expect to descend on Chicago next week are able to make their voices heard; if we’re forced on this route that Judge Wood approved, that won’t happen.” 


Despite the ruling, the status hearing scheduled for today is still on, and following court, Abudayyeh will discuss the ruling and next steps, while the Coalition’s attorney, Chris Williams, will answer legal questions.


“Hundreds of organizers and other volunteers across the country are working day and night to mobilize tens of thousands of people to Chicago, and we are understandably angry that the city attorneys have negotiated in bad faith and lied about their promises,” added Abudayyeh. “Now we have this ruling to deal with, and issues related to the park permits themselves, but we’re not giving up. As we have said since the start, we fought for permits so that we would have the greatest defense for our communities to be safe, but either way, it is our moral duty to march on the war makers, and that’s what we’ll do!” 


Over 200 organizations across the country have joined the Coalition to March on the DNC, and are making plans to mobilize to Chicago on the week of August 19th. More information at marchondnc2024.org. 


## End ##

Monday, August 5, 2024
Media contact: Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesperson for the Coalition and U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN) National Chair

Update from Hatem Abudayyeh on Permit Hearing in Federal Court

In this video, Hatem Abudayyeh explains what happened in today's hearing for march permits in federal court plus why we're pushing for the march route we want and not what the city has offered us: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-TR7kkv4yU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==


In summary, first, the route we want is within sight and sound of United Center. It's important that our march be within sight and sound because the powers that be who are responsible for this genocide need to see and hear us. Second, the route we want is long enough to actually accommodate the tens of thousands of people we expect to march. Lastly, the route we want is on main streets and not side streets. This is both to ensure that the roads we march on have enough capacity for our march, and it's also to make sure our march can avoid residential homes and gardens.


See graphic outlining our proposed route versus the city's proposed route:


“We have been arguing for months that the city must give us the entirety of Washington Boulevard for our march, because it’s the only way to accommodate the tens of thousands of protesters that we know will be in Chicago on August 19th for the first day of the DNC,” said Hatem Abudayyeh, National Chair of USPCN. “It is important that every single person who attends this protest is able to have their voice heard, and if we’re forced on a route that is only one mile long and forced to make turns onto side streets, that won’t happen.” 


Over 200 organizations across the country have joined the Coalition to March on the DNC, and are making plans to mobilize to Chicago on the week of August 19th, even after Joe Biden dropped out of the race and passed the nomination to Kamala Harris. 


“Regardless of who the nominee is, we’re marching against the Democrats and their vicious policies that have allowed Israel to kill over 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza,” said Fayaani Aboma Mijana, organizer with the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. “And we know that Palestinians and their allies are going to march in even bigger numbers since Genocide Joe and Killer Kamala gave Israel the green light to attack Iran and Lebanon last week.”


## End ##

Jul. 22, 2024

We're Still Marching For Palestine at the DNC

Genocide Joe Biden has stepped down from running for President as the Democratic Party nominee. His decision doesn't change the policies of Democratic Party leadership, specifically their support of the genocide in Palestine, so our movement must continue to apply pressure. On August 19th we will march on the DNC for Gaza regardless of who gets nominated for the presidency.

Democratic Party leadership switching out their presidential nominee does not wash the blood of over 50,000 Palestinians off their hands. Biden’s entire administration, together with high ranking members of the Democratic Party from all over the country, has spent the last ten months wholeheartedly supporting the genocide in Gaza with our tax dollars. It is a matter of historical urgency that all organizations who fight for the rights of working and oppressed people in the US join us in this demonstration to stand in solidarity with Palestine.

We have already united over 100 organizations from all over the people’s movements in this coalition. These diverse groups are not in the coalition just out of a moral obligation. They recognize the links between the Palestinian liberation struggle and their own struggles. They also recognize that Democratic Party higher ups often neglect their communities in favor of serving the rich and powerful. When it comes to police accountability, immigration, labor, reproductive and LGBTQ rights, and many other demands of working and oppressed people, those responsible for the genocide, and not just Biden, are often obstacles to progress in the same movements they paid lip service to in order to boost their campaigns.

Our coalition is making real preparations to march in the tens of thousands. We are negotiating with the city for permits that respect every protester’s right to be within sight and sound of the United Center on August 19th and 22nd. We are printing signs and recruiting volunteers. We are scheduling buses, plane tickets, and carpools. We are raising funds and gathering materials. We will have a family friendly protest of tens of thousands of people on August 19th because our reasons for marching have not changed. This protest is about more than the name at the top of a ballot. It is about stopping the most horrific crime against humanity we have seen this century.

When it comes to the genocide in Gaza there is no difference between Biden, Harris, or any of the likely candidates for the nomination. They are all complicit. This is why the coalition will still be marching on the DNC in the tens of thousands. We plan to have the largest march for Palestinian rights in Chicago’s history as we demand an end to the genocide and an end to US aid to Israel.

All power to the people! Free Palestine!
Jul. 17, 2024

The City Is Trying to Save Face for the DNC By Hiding the Unhoused

The Coalition to March on the DNC is disgusted to hear the news about how an unhoused encampment between the Dan Ryan Expressway and the 1100 block of South Desplaines Street will be cleared out and moved to a city shelter ahead of the Democratic National Convention, now only a month away. And to make room for the influx of people into the city shelters, other vulnerable people who have sought refuge there have been kicked out – including a domestic violence survivor, a recovering alcoholic, and others with chronic medical conditions. Where will the city send them?

We know that the city’s motivation for moving the encampment is to hide the unhoused crisis out of sight and mind of the rich and powerful who will descend on Chicago next month for the DNC. These same rich and powerful people are directly responsible for the explosion in the unhoused population. In Chicago alone, the number of unhoused people shot up to 18,836 in 2024 versus 6,139 in 2023. This increase is directly related to the influx of people fleeing economic devastation inflicted on their home countries by US foreign policy.

The US is the wealthiest country in world history, and yet, the US government refuses to provide basic resources to its own residents. This is epitomized in how the city, and undoubtedly the feds, are working together to displace and destabilize some of the most vulnerable people in our society as they are already suffering from abject living conditions. Meanwhile, this country continues to wage endless wars around the world while sending tens of billions of dollars to fund a genocide in Palestine.

We demand that our tax dollars be used to fund housing, education, healthcare, the environment, and other needs of the people, not genocide and war!
Mar. 21, 2024

Coalition to March on the DNC to hold press conference and announce federal lawsuit against city of Chicago for First Amendment violations

The Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention (DNC) will hold a press conference Friday, March 22nd, to announce a federal lawsuit that will be filed the same day on behalf of three organizations: Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR), Anti-War Committee (AWC)-Chicago, and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS)-UIC.

WHEN: Friday, March 22, 2024, at 11 AM

WHERE: Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn Street, downtown Chicago

SPEAKERS: Chris Williams, Attorney; Frank Chapman, Field Organizer, CAARPR; Zhenya Polozova, Co-Chair, AWC-Chicago; Hatem Abudayyeh, USPCN National Chair

CAARPR, AWC-Chicago, and SDS all recently applied for permits to march on August 19th and August 22nd, within sight and sound of the DNC. The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) denied these permits. The organizations appealed, but the Department of Administrative Hearings upheld the denials on March 20.

“The City’s ordinance at issue is an unconstitutional restriction on political speech on its face and in how it is being applied,” said Chris Williams of Workers’ Law Office, who is representing the organizations applying for the permits. “And these are not just theoretical threats to First Amendment speech. The City has threatened to seek potentially thousands of dollars in fines and even jail time if organizations even seek a permit that the City interprets as duplicative under the Ordinance, creating a serious chilling effect discouraging political speech at the DNC.”

The lawsuit alleges that the Chicago Ordinance at issue is an unconstitutional restriction on the First Amendment rights of the Plaintiff organizations and their members, and also that the City’s denial of march permits and proffered alternate route three miles from the DNC, far away from and out of sight from the delegates attending, was not a reasonable alternative.

Kobi Guillory, spokesperson for the Coalition to March on the DNC and co-chair of CAARPR, said, “As the U.S. backed Israeli genocide against the Palestinian people in Gaza continues unabated – with over 32,000 killed, almost all by U.S. bombs and missiles – we must march to where the delegates at the DNC can hear us and see us. This is the party in power, the party of Genocide Joe Biden. Biden could stop the war with one phone call. He refuses to take action, and so we must protest.”
Feb. 6, 2024

Coalition to March on the DNC Demands A Permit from the Transportation Department

Who: Coalition to March on the DNC

What: Press conference to demand a permit from the city

Where: Outside City Hall, 121 N LaSalle

When: February 6th, 2024 9am

Why: The Coalition to March on the DNC is demanding a permit recognizing the right of working and oppressed people to protest for justice within sight and sound of the Democratic National Convention starting August 19th 2024

The Chicago Department of Transportation recently denied our permit to march on the Democratic National Convention. Their stated reason for this decision is that the city will not have the resources to police us while securing the rich and powerful Democratic Party leaders. We reject their decision because we have the right to voice the demands of the people within sight and sound of the DNC. We demand a permit to march as a gesture of good faith that the police will not introduce violence into our family friendly protest.

The denial letter proposed a second route for the march that is nowhere near the DNC. We refuse to be cast away where those in power cannot see or hear our demands for their own convenience . Agreeing to our own displacement would defeat the entire purpose of protesting. Many of the attendees of the DNC are responsible for or complicit in U.S.’ aggression against other countries including genocide in Palestine, police committing crimes with impunity, mass incarceration, deportations, neglect of LGBTQ and reproductive rights, undermining of workers demands, and other injustices against the people. Working and oppressed people have a right to make demands of those in power. We plan to make these demands on August 19th and we will be seen and heard.

Several organizations who also applied for parade permits during the DNC received a letter with identical wording from the Transportation Department. This approach to the movements for social justice is insulting. The organizations in the March on the DNC coalition have decades of experience planning mass marches while keeping attendees safe, often in spite of efforts of the police to start a riot. We know what our rights are and we know that it is always right to fight for justice. It is unacceptable for the Transportation Department to tell working and oppressed people to move elsewhere while making space for the expensive motorcades of politicians. Chicago is not a city for the rich and powerful. When they gather, we have a right and responsibility to gather in response.

This is not Richard J Daley's Chicago. Working and oppressed people here have made many historical advances since 1968 including the strongest police accountability legislation in the country, freedom and reparations for police torture survivors, electing a mayor from the worker's movement, and making Chicago the largest city to call for a ceasefire in Palestine. In order to make these gains we had to overcome opposition from the Democratic Party machine. The same mass movement that won all those victories will get us a permit to march on the DNC, and our united efforts will ensure all our demands are met and a better world is built.