We’re still marching for Palestine at the DNC

Statement from the Coalition to March on 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 19 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, 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 U.S. 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 U.S. aid to Israel.

All power to the people! Free Palestine!