Although there are only a handful of such delegates among the thousands of delegates, delegates to the “uncommitted movement” are among the most vocal at the Democratic National Convention.
Delegates plan to express their discontent with the war in Gaza at the party’s convention this week in Chicago, during which Vice President Kamala Harris will formally accept the Democratic Party’s nomination in the close race for the White House.
The “Uncommitted Movement” has 30 delegates from eight different US states and claims to represent around 700,000 voters.
Although he welcomed the news of President Joe Biden’s exit from the race on July 21, he thereafter viewed Harris’s presidency with caution and skepticism.
“The party needs a change,” Rep. Asma Mohammed of Minnesota told AFP. “I don’t feel bad about someone who has unapologetically supported a genocidal regime in Israel.”
Mohammed came to Chicago hoping to see a new approach within her party, but said she was disappointed that there was not a single pro-Palestinian voice on the conference’s list of speakers.
“I know she (Harris) is more empathetic than Joe Biden, I’ve seen that,” Mohammed said. “But words are not enough. Then there needs to be policy.”
The Uncommitted Movement advocated for the inclusion of Tanya Haj-Hassan on the list of speakers, as they wanted the thousands of attendees to hear from a doctor who has treated victims of the conflict between Israel and the activist group Hamas in Gaza.
However, so far the event has only allowed one panel outside the main venue, at the McCormick Center. During the panel, a pediatrician described the horrors of war, bringing tears to the eyes of the audience.
both sides
Speakers scheduled for the DNC include some relatives of the 251 people taken hostage by Hamas on October 7, when it launched the conflict by attacking Israel, killing 1,199 people, according to an AFP count based on official figures.
“Why does it have to be one or the other?” Mohammed asked, stressing that Israeli retaliation has killed more than 40,000 people in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
There is scope for them to listen to both the sides.
Jacob Schoenberger, a 17-year-old representative from Connecticut, is not part of the “uncommitted movement” but shares similar sentiments. He arrived at the convention wearing a button with a slogan in support of Israel.
“I think it should be a leadership decision … I have my own personal beliefs, but I think it’s important to have both sides,” he said.
In addition to the “non-committal movement”, protests also took place outside the conference venue, the United Center, where hundreds of people chanted “Free Palestine!”
As Biden delivered his speech Monday night, some delegates inside the arena covered their mouths, a gesture in protest of his response to the war in Gaza.
“We wanted to send the message that we don’t agree with what Biden is doing,” said Rep. Sabrine Odeh of Washington state.
While the D.N.C. is underway, Biden’s Secretary of State Antony Blinken is touring the Middle East in a new effort to broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Biden acknowledged discontent over the number of deaths in Gaza during his speech Monday night.
That didn’t enthuse Yaz Kader, another Washington representative.
“The fact is that he is a president who has supported the genocide that Israel is committing,” he said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)