Pro-Palestinian protests on opening day of US Democratic National Convention

On August 19, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets in Chicago, Illinois, as US President Joe Biden attended the opening day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

At this event, Vice President Kamala Harris will officially receive the Democratic Party's nomination to represent the party in the presidential election next November.

Protesters held banners, expressing their opposition to the Biden administration's stance on Israel in the conflict in the Gaza Strip, and calling for a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas Islamic Movement in Gaza.

After hours of peaceful protests, dozens of people broke through part of a security fence near the site of the Democratic National Convention, prompting riot police to intervene.

Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling said some protesters broke through barricades and threw water bottles and other objects at police, but the situation was brought under control.

Authorities said the internal security fence around the Democratic convention site was not breached and there was no threat to those attending the event.

Previously, the “March on the DNC,” a coalition of more than 200 different groups, planned to hold a protest at a park near the convention site hours before President Biden delivered his speech.

Protesters came from Palestinian and Arab communities in Illinois and neighboring states, including groups advocating for other issues such as reproductive rights and racial justice.

Another large protest is also planned for August 22, before Vice President Kamala Harris delivers her acceptance speech for the Democratic Party's nomination.

Previously, scattered protests had also begun on August 18 in some areas of Chicago. On the night of August 18, a group of about 1,000 pro-Palestinian protesters marched through downtown Chicago.

Chicago is home to one of the largest Palestinian populations in the United States. Palestinian supporters have protested the Biden administration’s military and financial support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Protests erupted on U.S. college campuses last spring.