Group planning pro-Palestinian protest says it's making progress to be near the DNC
CHICAGO (CBS) — Protesters have demanded that their voices be heard during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center—and if they don't get permits, they say they are going to hold demonstrations anyway.
The protesters want delegates and members of the Democratic Party who will be in Chicago in August to be able to hear their voices against the War in Gaza—literally. That means they want to protest as close to the venue as they can.
At just around six weeks before the anticipated event, they find themselves in legal limbo—asking the city to let them do just that.
For Hatem Aubdayyeh, national chair of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, the question of protesting during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago is not a matter of if, but a matter of where.
"We're telling people Union Park on August 19," Abudayyeh said. "If the city continues to make it difficult, if they deny those permits, if they continue to try to push us away from the United Center, then we are compelled to have to protest anyway."
Abudayyeh is representing a coalition of over 100 groups planning to protest the War in Gaza at the upcoming DNC.
"In support of Palestine, for Palestinian freedom, and the number one demand of the U.S. government is to stop us aid to Israel," Abudayyeh said. "This is the issue of the century right now."
The coalition is in the middle of a federal lawsuit against the City of Chicago, after the city denied the coalition a permit to organize within sight and sound of the United Center—where the convention will be held.
"The lawsuit says that this is a violation of our First Amendment rights by trying to put us on Columbus Drive, four miles away," Abudayyeh said. "That was a non-starter for us."
The latest hearing on the lawsuit was held on Monday, as the coalition asks the city to grant them a closer route.
"I do want to recognize there has been movement from the city," said Chris Williams, attorney for the Coalition to March on the DNC. "We hope that continues."
The new route for the protesters has not been made public by the city. But there will be tight security rules close to the DNC venue—with a so-called buffer zone with restricted access in place for nine adys.
"Everybody needs to understand—the judge, the lawyers, the mayor, the entire city—that this thing is going to be huge. We're talking tens of thousands of people," Abudayyeh said, "and if that's the case, we need to have the widest streets available to us. We need to have a long route available to us."
CBS 2 reached out to the city late Monday to get an update on the permit process, but there was not response.
