Shouts of “Free Palestine” rang across the lawns of Chicago’s Union Park on Monday as thousands of protesters gathered to urge Vice President Kamala Harris to push for a ceasefire in Gaza. The march kicked off a week of events organized by the Coalition to March on the Democratic National Convention, a group of organizations including Students for a Democratic Society, Black Lives Matter Chicago, and Jewish Voice for Peace that are calling for the US to stop providing military aid to Israel.
Teen Vogue traveled to Chicago, too, to speak with protesters and attendees at the convention. Below, hear from young demonstrators about why they showed up to march, the “great vibes” of the Monday event, and their concerns about the 2024 election.
Editor’s note: These conversations have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. Some attendees preferred to use only their first names to protect their anonymity.
Mariam, 19, (she/her), from Palestine and currently living in Michigan
“We want our voices to be heard by the politicians. It's either Kamala or Trump and both of the parties aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing for our rights as immigrants and our rights internationally. They have to earn our vote.”
Ben, 20, (he/him), Wilmette, Illinois, and Sophia, 20 (she/her), Chicago
Ben: “I think that while it was a politically smart move by Democrats to get rid of Joe Biden, [Harris] fundamentally represents the same administration, the same policies, and hasn't done enough, in my opinion, to differentiate herself from Joe Biden and his administration.
“I think Harris will probably win enough swing states to win the presidency. And then I think Trump will probably dispute it like last time.”
Sophia: “I do think Trump is going to get a second term. I think Project 2025 [the sweeping plan put forth by the conservative Heritage Foundation for a future Republican presidential administration) is going to be implemented. But like [Ben] said, I don't think that the actual foreign policy is going to change that much from what Kamala would've done. I think it's a lose-lose situation.”
Kendall Terashima, 24, (they/them), Chicago
“I hope that the people of Gaza know that we are with them and that we are not going down without a fight.”
Louisa, 28, (she/her), Kentucky
“Evil is evil… I don't have any good feelings about [the election] really.”
Hiba, 23, Detroit, and a friend who chose to remain anonymous
Hiba: “My energy is so high. I'm so pumped for the march. It's something that I've been looking forward to since we got here. I think that's when everyone's energy really comes alive because it's something that we can all participate in and feel heard, and that's something that I'm going to do today. I'm going to go buck wild in the march as I should because children are dying unjustifiably and not enough people care, but I want to make it known that I care and everyone else here cares.”
Hiba’s friend: “We’re out here. We're out here and they're not listening to us. So we're here in numbers. We are going to be loud.… [Harris is] going to listen to us. If not now, then tomorrow, if not tomorrow, then after tomorrow. We're not going to stop. I don't know what they think the police are going to do. They're not scaring us. They're not intimidating us. We don't care anymore. We have nothing to lose. We already lost so much.”
Marisa Giacopelli, 24,(she/they), Chicago, and Charli Hurley, 25, (she/her)
Marisa: “I'm just here to represent Chicago and show that the people all stand with Palestine here... As for Harris becoming the Democratic nominee, I'm definitely excited to see what she wants to do, but I'm also very aware that historically she has stood with Israel, so very aware of that. Aware of her background as a cop, but hopeful with Tim Walz and his progressive history, being her running mate."
Charli: “With Harris being the Democratic nominee, I feel a little conflicted just because I like a lot of her policies, but I really disagree with her stances on Israel and the way that she treated protestors at her Michigan rally. That was really disappointing to see. I think that coming out and just being explicitly pro-Palestine, I feel like we have a better chance of making an impact if it's just a visible protest. The prospect of a second Trump administration is really scary, especially with everything with Project 2025. I'd really like to avoid that. It's just hard as a wannabe Harris voter to reconcile with her stance on Israel. But the energy today feels really good, it feels really positive, and it's really great to see how many people come out at rallies in Chicago. I think it's really inspiring and it does feel like hopefully, something can come of this.”
Serene 46 (she/her), Lana, 9 (she/her), Edward, 11, (he/him), and Miles, 13, (he/him), Illinois
Serene: “We are excited to raise awareness and to march in community. You can see the mobilization here and this is just a drop in the bucket of how many people are feeling disillusioned with the Democratic Party. And it's really up to them to decide how they want to proceed because we're seeing now that the two-party system is more like one party that's being paid for by the same umbrella. Until we see how the Democratic Party can advocate for all of us, and especially as it relates to the end of the war, then we don't know how it's going to end.”
Toni Jones, 29, (she/her) and Kristi, 29, (she/her), New Orleans, members of the New Orleans Community Oversight Police (local affiliate of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression), and a friend who asked to be identified as "Z" (they/them)
Toni: “We came up here today to add our voices to the outrage against the Democrats and the Democratic National Convention.… We want an end to the genocide, and solidarity from New Orleans to Palestine.
“I feel pretty excited about being part of an organized moment and such a moment that scares the Democratic Party. I'm energized by thinking about how worried they are, and I think they should be feeling some shame and some fear right now."
Kristi: “I think that it's really cool that we live in a time where we could actually see a brown person, a woman, a woman of color, a Black woman, be president as an option, as a thing that could happen. But if she's still going to be bankrolling imperialism then it's just the same thing with a different face."
Z: “I think we understand that Trump is obviously the worst option, but I think people see the opportunity and hope in Kamala Harris and to be able to sway her opinion. And this is a critical time to do that because it's before the election. So we want to make our demands now. We don't want to wait. And so we're here. We're excited for the election. We want her to earn our vote. We don't want it to be Trump. I fear that. Yeah, I definitely fear that.”
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