Pro Palestinian Mass Protests Ahead Of Democratic Party Convention

UNSPLASH/Manny Becerra ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters are expected to gather outside the Democratic National Convention on its opening day.

Demonstrations will take place in parks outside the convention arena hours before US President Joe Biden address a meeting in which the Democratic Party delegation will inaugurate the nomination of US Vice President Kamala Harris as a presidential candidate.

Demonstrators will continue to negotiate with authorities on Monday, August 19, regarding the expansion of the march route so that all protesters can have the opportunity to walk, said Hatem Abudayyeh, a spokesman for the demonstrators.

Abudayyeh estimates that there will be tens of thousands of protesters at 1 pm. This group has its own security pattern.

"That's their only responsibility. We don't need them to keep our security. We don't need them to protect us, it's just not to violate our rights," Abudayyeh said.

Another major protest is scheduled for Thursday when Harris accepts the nomination.

Pro-Palestinian supporters have months of protesting Biden's military and financial support for Israel during the war against Hamas, which killed more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to Gaza health officials.

Israel launched an attack after being attacked on October 7 by Hamas militants that killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.