Several elected Democrats and activists called on US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris's campaign Thursday to allow a Palestinian to speak on the last day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois.
"We cannot ignore the Chicagoland Palestinian community as one of the largest in the country. They too deserve to be reflected on the national stage. It's crucial to recognize the humanity of the Palestinian community tonight with a Palestinian speaker," Rep. Chuy Garcia said in a statement.
The Uncommitted National Movement (UNM) has been demanding Harris's campaign and organizers for a Palestinian American to speak onstage on the final night of the four-day event.
But the DNC on Wednesday rejected their request for a speaking slot, with Abbas Alawieh, one of the leaders of the 30 Uncommitted delegates at the DNC, staging a sit-in protest, where he was joined by many Democratic representatives, including Rashida Tlaib, who FaceTimed in to show her support.
"No Palestinian American speaker yet. The DNC gave us a "No" as their decision, but we don't accept it as a final decision. Let a Palestinian American speak. Delegates are still outside the United Center and waiting to hear from the DNC about our request. We're not done pushing," Alawieh said on X.
The United Auto Workers (UAW), a powerful labor union, issued a statement Thursday urging Democrats to allow a Palestinian American speaker at the DNC amid the sit-in outside the convention.
"If we want the war in Gaza to end, we can't put our heads in the sand or ignore the voices of the Palestinian Americans in the Democratic Party.
"If we want peace, if we want real democracy, and if we want to win this election, the Democratic Party must allow a Palestinian American speaker to be heard from the DNC stage tonight," the union said on X.
The UNM said that Palestinian Americans deserve a voice within the Democratic Party.
"From the beginning, our demand has been clear: #NotAnotherBomb. We have taken to the streets and the ballot box and we will not stop," the movement said on X.
As delegates were gathering for the convention, where Harris will formally accept the Democratic nomination for the presidency later Thursday, tens of thousands of people have expressed support for Palestine since the beginning of the convention on Monday.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.
The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and nearly 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.
An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.
Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over one million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.
