Protesters against Israel's war in Gaza briefly breached the security fence outside the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Monday, hours before US President Joe Biden was set to pass the torch to new candidate Kamala Harris.
Biden, 81, did not directly address the security issue in his hour-long speech, but said “those protesters in the street are right. They are killing a lot of innocent people, on both sides” of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
A small group of about 100 protesters broke away from a larger march involving thousands of people and attacked metal barriers surrounding the United Center on the first day of the Democratic Party gathering.
Police in blue helmets, shields and black batons prevented them from reaching the inner cordon. A protester dressed in black was led by the arms and legs by several officers, AFP The correspondent saw.
Protest groups have called for mass demonstrations throughout the week against the Biden-Harris administration's support for Israel's war in Gaza following the deadly Hamas attacks on October 7.
Chicago police said in a statement that protesters “breached a portion of the anti-climb fencing along the outer perimeter of the Democratic National Convention.”
“Law enforcement personnel immediately responded to the scene and contained the situation. At no time was the perimeter breached and there was no threat to any of the protected individuals,” police said.
Police later moved into a park near the convention center to clear it of protesters.
Chants of “Free Palestine” and “Let's march” continued as about half a dozen resisting activists, one of them wearing a pink gas mask, began to retreat.
The Gaza war has been a hugely divisive issue for the Democratic Party ahead of the November 5 election.
It has threatened to alienate Muslim and Arab American voters, once a reliable Democratic voting bloc, particularly in key swing states.
Biden, in his speech, said his administration would continue to work to “bring peace and security to the Middle East.”
“We are working day and night… to prevent a wider war and reunite the hostages with their families, and to increase humanitarian, health and food assistance to Gaza now, to end the civilian suffering of the Palestinian people and finally, finally, finally achieve a ceasefire and end this war.”
