Hundreds of protesters rallied and marched downtown Aug. 18, calling for a Gaza ceasefire, reproductive rights and LGBTQ+ liberation on the eve of the Democratic National Convention.
The protest was organized by Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws, a coalition of LGBTQ+, pro-choice and pro-Palestinian groups, aimed at pressuring Democratic lawmakers to take stronger action on such issues. It was the first of at least seven major protests happening around the Democratic Convention, which runs Aug. 19-22.
“We are putting together on the eve of the Democratic National Convention to be sure that they don’t even begin their convention without knowing our demands,” said Mandy Medley, co-owner of Pilsen Community Books and a leader in Chicago for Abortion Rights, during a rally that preceded the march.
The organizers called for a ceasefire in Gaza, national reproductive rights legislation and strengthened LGBTQ+ protections across the country. More demands can be found on the protesters’ website.
Elisabeth Lalasz, a registered nurse and union steward with National Nurses United, said the past four years under Democratic leadership have been “extremely difficult, gut-wrenching and incredibly inspiring and hopeful all at the same time.”
The past few years have seen a global pandemic, the overturn of Roe V. Wade in 2022 and Democrats funding Israel in its war on Gaza, Lalasz said. But at the same time, people have organized across the country to demand change on these issues.
“That’s why this rally and the protest meetings and the organizing going on during this week of the DNC is so incredibly important, regardless of who people vote for, if they vote on Election Day or whoever wins this election,” Lalasz said. “We need to continue to remain active out in the streets, organizing our workplaces and communities to demand the change that we want to see.”
The protesters carried Pride flags, Palestinian flags and protest signs, and recited chants like “Kamala you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” as they marched down Michigan Avenue toward the General John Logan Monument in Grant Park. Protesters gathered at that spot during the Democratic National Convention held in Chicago in 1968.
Calls for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza were a strong component of Sunday’s protest and will be the focus of several protests happening during the DNC.
Cook County is home to the largest Palestinian population in the country, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has called for a ceasefire in Gaza since January.
Nadine Naber, an activist with the Arab American Cultural Center, accused Democrats of “hiding behind the shadow of women and LGBTQ+ rights while funding” the war on Gaza.
More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israel’s counterattack on Gaza, according to a report from the AP. The war began Oct. 7 when Hamas-led militants invaded Israel and killed about 1,200 people.
Abby Stein, a transgender and pro-Palestine rabbi born into a Hasidic family, also spoke at the rally, saying every issue the protest raised is related.
“First and foremost, we need to listen to Palestinians, who are being killed in a genocide, but we also understand that everything is intertwined,” Stein said. “The rights of trans people are intertwined with the rights of every human being to reproductive rights, the rights to abortion and the rights of trans people to make our own decisions. And together, we will win.”
Other major protests happening this week include the Coalition to March on the DNC, which is calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. That protest will begin with a rally at noon Aug. 19 in Union Park. The Poor People’s Army is also planning to march Aug. 19 from Humboldt Park to the United Center, where the convention is held.
Photos of Bodies Outside of Unjust Laws protest before the DNC. Photos by Lisa Howe-Ebright
