As Chicago hosts the 2024 Democratic National Convention, the eyes of the world will be on the city. In the best-case scenario for the Democratic Party, the political convention will not be overtaken by divisive issues inside the convention hall or outside on the streets.
Given the recent political violence with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump — and the fast-changing political landscape in America with President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race — the circumstances reawaken memories of the disastrous 1968 Democratic National Convention, also held in Chicago.
In 1968, when opposition to the Vietnam War was at its apex, what happened inside the convention hall mirrored what was going on in the streets outside. In 2024, the controversy over the Israel-Hamas war threatens to inflame tensions on the streets outside the convention hall.
