Pro-Palestine protesters kept up the pressure on day three of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago on Wednesday, even as the police blocked their path outside the United Center venue.
Inside was a heady mix of celebrity fanfare, while Tim Walz accepted his vice president nomination to adoring fans and Bill Clinton took centre stage to swipe at Trump.
Here are some key takeaways from the third night of the DNC.
Uncommitted delegates stage sit-in
The Uncommitted National Movement is a group that won 30 delegates to the convention and is using the political process to pressure the Democratic Party to do more to push for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Delegates staged a sit-in outside the DNC on Wednesday after the movement was told its Palestinian-American speaker had been denied permission to speak on the convention’s main stage.
The sit-in had not been planned, one of the group’s leaders, Abbas Alawieh, told the Guardian newspaper. “We didn’t come here to do a sit-in, we’re just sitting here waiting for a call,” he said.
Police block pro-Palestine protesters
A wall of dozens of police officers blocked the road leading to the security perimeter around the venue to keep pro-Palestinian protesters at bay on Wednesday.
Al Jazeera witnessed the violent arrest of two hijab-wearing women who appeared to be singled out by police before being wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. Despite repeated questions from Al Jazeera about why they were arresting the women, police at the scene did not respond.
Chicago is home to one of the largest Palestinian communities in the United States. Lizette Garza, a social justice activist who was among the protesters outside the DNC, told Al Jazeera that people of various backgrounds in the city were “grieving” for the atrocities in Gaza alongside Palestinians.
The Muslim Women for Harris-Walz group announced the decision to pull its support for the Democratic ticket after protesters were blocked from marching outside the venue by police.
After the family of an Israeli captive being held in Gaza appeared on stage at the event, the group said in a statement: “The family of the Israeli Hostage that was on the stage tonight has shown more empathy towards Palestinian Americans and Palestinians than our candidate or the DNC has.”
"Muslim Women for Harris-Walz" is disbanding over the DNC's refusal to allow a Palestinian-American on stage.
They write: "The family of the Israeli Hostage that was on the stage tonight, has shown more empathy towards Palestinian Americans and Palestinians, than our candidate… pic.twitter.com/Gc2VcHNPxn
— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) August 22, 2024
Walz basks in adoration
Tim Walz, Minnesota governor and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s running mate, accepted his vice presidential nomination to raucous applause. He brought some in the crowd to tears when he touched on the struggle with infertility he and his wife faced during his speech.
“This is personal for Gwen and I,” he declared. “If you’ve never experienced the hell that is infertility, I guarantee you know somebody who has.”
A video of his 17-year-old son, Gus, went viral when he pointed at Walz and shouted, “That’s my dad!” The family was roundly praised for its “authenticity” on social media.
A sea of placards marked “Coach Walz” waved in a frenzy as Walz walked off the stage to his exit song – Rockin’ in the Free World – by Neil Young. In 2020, then-President Donald Trump was sued by Young for using the song without securing permission at his campaign rallies.
Clinton takes swipe at Trump’s age and ‘vanity’
“The only personal vanity I want to assert is that I’m still younger than Donald Trump,” former President Bill Clinton said when he took the stage.
Clinton also took aim at Trump’s self-interest, saying: “The next time you hear him, don’t count the lies – count the ‘I’s.”
Age became a big concern for Democrats when President Joe Biden, aged 81 to Trump’s 78, was the Democratic candidate for the presidential election this year. Biden pulled out of the race following a faltering performance in a debate against Trump in June this year and many commentators believe his decision was down to his age.
In June, a CBS News/YouGov poll revealed that 72 percent of registered voters believed Biden did not have the mental and cognitive health to serve as president. Roughly 49 percent said they felt similarly about Trump.
Celebrity power takes stage
Oprah Winfrey made a showy, surprise entrance to the DNC with her familiar “Good evening, everybody!” and gave her endorsement for Harris.
She called for tolerance and inclusion. “Despite what some would have you think, we are not so different from our neighbours,” Winfrey said. “When a house is on fire, we don’t ask about the homeowner’s race or religion, we don’t wonder who their partner is or how they voted. No. We just try to do the best we can to save them.”
Winfrey took the opportunity to take a swipe at Trump running mate JD Vance’s earlier “cat-ladies” comments saying, “and if the place happens to belong to a childless cat lady, well, we try to get that cat out, too.”
In a 2021 interview, Vance referred to Democratic politicians as “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too”.
Grammy Award-winning singer Maren Morris performed her 2020 single – Better Than We Found It – a song inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Stevie Wonder, the R&B and soul icon, played his rendition of his 1972 classic – Higher Ground.
Wonder said: “As we stand between history’s pain and tomorrow’s promises, we must choose courage over complacency. We must keep on keepin’ on until we truly are a united people of these United States. And then we will reach our high ground.”
With the assistance of Sheila E on the drums, John Legend electrified the crowd with a rendition of Prince’s 1984 rock anthem – Let’s Go Crazy – with a guitar solo by Ari O’Neal.
Project 2025 and January 6 rear their heads
Democrats brought up the subject of Project 2025, which was developed by conservative organisation The Heritage Foundation and is perceived as a potential roadmap for a second Trump term despite his insistence that it is unrelated to his campaign
Holding the Project 2025 book, Colorado Governor Jared Polis said: “On page 562 it says that Donald Trump could use an obscure law from the 1800s to singlehandedly ban abortion in all 50 states even putting doctors in jail.”
Florida Representative Debbie Wasserman Shult said: “For the people of my state, Project 2025 isn’t just a threat it’s a reality that we battle every day.”
Kenan Thomas, comedian and cast member of the popular sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, snuck in several light-hearted jabs at Project 2025. Holding the 900-page book, Kenan said: “This is Project 2025, the Republican blueprint for a second Trump term. [Have] you ever seen a document that could kill a small animal and democracy at the same time?”
California Senator Nancy Pelosi said: “The parable of January 6 reminds us that our democracy is only as strong as the courage and commitment of those entrusted with its care. The choice couldn’t be clearer. Those leaders are Vice President Harris and Governor Walz.”
