Law enforcement brace as anti-Israel groups vow to bring tens of thousands of protesters to DNC in Chicago
Anti-Israel groups are planning a massive show of force at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago next week as the party plans to celebrate Vice President Kamala Harris’ nomination.
The U.S. Palestinian Community Network will bring in busloads of protesters from Minnesota, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin and elsewhere. The group is organizing the event under the hashtag ‘March on DNC 2024,’ with leaders arguing ther is no daylight between Harris and President Biden when it comes to Israel-Gaza policy.
‘We’re not going to do anything different. We’re going to mobilize,’ the groups’ leader, Hatem Abudayyeh told NBC News.Harris represents the administration; she represents Biden. There is nothing that she has expressed independently that tells us she does not support the policies.’
‘The movement is saying not only are we needing to stop the genocide, but we need to stop the possibility that this thing is going to be a regional war,’ he added.
‘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,’ the group further stated on its website.
Meanwhile, federal, state and local law enforcement say they are aware of and are currently monitoring plans for the protest and any threat they may pose to the convention.
One local Chicago organization posted a particularly threatening video on social media earlier this week. The video shows a masked individual vowing to welcome ‘killer Kamala’ to the city.
‘As home to the largest Palestinian diaspora in the country, we want to give Killer Kamala, her partners in crime, and her future VP a warm welcome to our city,’ the individual said.
The Secret Service confirmed to NBC News that they are aware of the video.
The FBI says it is also monitoring the event, but said in a statement that it is not aware of any specific threats.
‘At this time, the FBI is not aware of any specific and articulable threats related to the DNC,’ the FBI told reporters earlier this week. ‘We will continue to evaluate and share intelligence received from domestic and international partners related to the DNC just as we would for any large-scale event within the Chicago area.’
The Chicago Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.