CHICAGO — Delegates from the Uncommitted Movement are sitting outside the United Center Thursday morning calling for the DNC to include a pro-Palestinian speaker.
A group of about 40 unconfirmed delegates and supporters spent the night outside the United Center on the sidewalk and remained there Thursday morning.
They said they’re waiting for a call, hopefully from party leadership, saying they’ve changed their mind and they will allow a pro-Palestinian speaker to address the DNC. But so far, the answer is no.
“That was unacceptable to us because as Democrats, we are the party of representation, we are the party of inclusion,” Michigan delegate Abbas Alawieh. “This level of silence and exclusion is deeply, deeply offensive to us and so we’re staying right here.”
On night three of the Democratic National Convention, parents of American hostage Hersh Goldberg in the October 7th attack in Israel spoke on stage pleading for the release of those held captive in Gaza.
“We heard Hersh’s story,” Alawieh said. “We were moved by it. We were removed by the humanity in that story. And we are Democrats who have a party platform that says our party values every is really life and every Palestinian life equally. And so we think we should also be featuring a Palestinian-American speaker from this stage.”
“The least they could do is allow a Palestinian-American or somebody who is directly affected by this war to speak from the main stage of the DNC, that’s the least to share that perspective,” Rhode Island delegate June Rose said.
The DNC has given the movement space to speak at several untelevised forums throughout the week.
The group is claiming they have the party’s majority support in calling for a ceasefire and arms embargo for the war in Gaza and hoped the convention would end with an even more unified Democratic Party.
“I hope that Kamala Harris would support it because it’s what’s right because we need to save lives, but if she doesn’t for moral reasons, she should do it for electoral reasons,” Rose said.
Again, DNC leaders have refused to meet the group’s requests, but they hope the party will reconsider some time Thursday.
Copyright © 2024 WLS-TV. All Rights Reserved.