Christine Bohan reports from Chicago 

ONE OF THE biggest potential headaches for the Democratic party at its national convention has been avoided after a much smaller crowd than expected turned out for a nearby protest over Gaza. 

The party had been braced for tens of thousands of protesters to turn up, which would have dented the unified and ‘joyful’  image the Democrats are aiming to project at its four-day conference in Chicago. There has been vocal and divisive criticism within the party over its support for Israel. 

However the number of protesters has been estimated at being closer to 3,000. 

The protest was held at a park about 1km from United Center, the huge convention centre where the four-day event is being held, before taking to the streets. There was a heavy but hands-off police presence at the perimeter of the park. 

A small number of protesters knocked down a fence near the perimeter of the convention centre shortly before it was due to start. 

“It’s pretty plainly genocide that’s happening in Palestine right now, and the fact that we as tax payers are paying for that to happen is pretty ridiculous,” one protester called Timothy told The Journal. “We want the Democrats here for the DNC to hear our voices, to know that we are not ok with this.” 

Another protester, Elise, said she won’t vote for Kamala Harris in November unless the party position changes. 

“I’m against genocide and I think there’s a genocide going on in Gaza so I’m here to protest and to tell the DNC they’re not going to get my vote unless they change their position, call for a ceasefire and defund all parts of Israel.”

She is not optimistic though. “I don’t think they’re going to do anything. I don’t have much faith in their ability to change, but I am still going to be here and push for change because I have solidarity with the people in Gaza.” 

One group of protesters held both a tricolour and a starry plough flag. 

“We are with Irish-Americans for Palestine and Chicago-Irish for Palestine,” a protester called Jennifer said. “We’re organising Irish-Americans of the diaspora, whether old or new, who wish to support Palestine and stay a little bit more aligned with our Irish siblings on the issue.” 

She said there is generally not much support for Palestine from Irish-Americans. “There’s a major lack of support, really, for Palestinians and other oppressed people.”

Her comments were echoed by Richard, another protester. “I go online and I see all these protests happening in Ireland, all over, in Dublin, Cork, Derry. And there’s a passion for it there that I wish we had here.”

Speakers led the crowd in chants of ‘From the river to the sea Palestine will be free’ and handed out anti-war and anti-genocide leaflets in the park, before the protest took to the streets. 

Signs read ‘Victory to the Palestinian resistance’, ‘Not another bomb’ and ‘Both Republicans and Democrats have blood on their hands.” 

One protester, Cindy, has been attending anti-war protests for five decades and said she had been inspired by her father. 

“My dad was a white, red-haired Irishman and I grew up during the civil rights era and he was a huge supporter of it. He was born in 1918 so god only knows why he supported it, because he so easily could not have, but he did. And so he instilled it in me.”

She said she has to remain optimistic. “We have to hope, because that’s all there is.”

Christine Bohan is reporting from the Democratic National Convention in Chicago all this week. You can follow her articles here.