Biden to give possible swan song at Democratic convention amid Gaza protests
David Smith
Joe Biden will take centre stage for perhaps the last time on Monday night when he addresses the Democratic national convention in Chicago – as the US president faces a backlash over one of his most complex legacies.
Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to converge in the host city to demand that the US end military aid to Israel for its ongoing war in Gaza. Activists have branded Biden “Genocide Joe” and called for the vice-president, Kamala Harris, to change course.
The biggest protest group the Coalition to March on the DNC has planned demonstrations on Monday and Thursday to coincide with Biden and Harris’s speeches. Organisers say they expect at least 20,000 activists to demonstrate, including students who protested against the war on college campuses.
Key events
Ed Pilkington
The proverb that the early bird catches the worm appears to apply even to the Democratic national convention, which is normally a late-night affair.
I’m at a breakfast meeting of the delegation for Wisconsin, one of the key battleground states that will decide the outcome of the November election, and lo and behold but who should show up but Tim Walz, the Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee.
There are only about 100 Wisconsin volunteers at the event, yet even here Walz lit up the room the minute he entered it – a skill that bodes well for his keynote convention speech on Wednesday. “It’s been an interesting 11 days for me,” he began, looking genuinely shellshocked after his lightning propulsion on to the national stage following his pick by Kamala Harris as her running mate.
Over the next few days we will show what democracy looks like – it’s inclusive.
As governor of neighboring Minnesota, Walz is a familiar figure in Wisconsin. He’ll have more work to do on Wednesday introducing himself to a country that knows little about him.
He gave a taste of what is to come, saying that his goal with Harris was “not just to beat those guys” but to set out a “vision for our future that people can believe in. The end is a better, fairer, more just society.”
And he repeated what has by now, in 11 short days, become a mantra of the Harris-Walz campaign: joy. He said they aimed to do “politics with a sense of dignity, excitement and joy”.
Wisconsin delegates lapped it up. We’ll see how it goes down with a wider audience later in the week.
Here are some images from the newswires from the protests on Sunday in downtown Chicago on the eve of the Democratic national convention.
Kamala Harris told reporters on Sunday that she considers herself and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, to be the “underdog” in the upcoming election.
Harris, speaking to reporters in Pennsylvania yesterday, added:
That’s why we’re on this bus tour today, and we’re going to be traveling this country as we’ve been, and talking with folks, listening to folks and hopefully earning their votes over the next 79 days.
The Harris-Walz campaign has launched a WhatsApp channel targeting Latino voters in what it described as a “first-of-its-kind in a presidential election”.
The channel aims to reach voters with “tailored, culturally competent content” to “create an organic avenue to reach Latino families from the abuelos to tías and tíos and primos”, it said in a statement on Monday.
“Now more than ever, we must meet Latinos where they are,” a statement from the campaign’s Hispanic media director, Maca Casado, reads.
While Donald Trump vilifies our community at every turn and uses us as a political punching bag, Vice President Harris and Governor Walz know the power of our community and are fighting everyday on the issues that matter to Latino voters.
Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader, and House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries will both speak at the Democratic national convention in Chicago this week.
From Politico’s Emily Ngo :
How can I watch the Democratic national convention?
The Democratic party will livestream the convention on its Democratic national convention website and on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
The Guardian has a team of reporters in Chicago and will be covering the convention in depth, including live blogs each night.
Major news networks are likely to carry prime-time programming. In the US, PBS will have live coverage beginning at 8pm each night.
Two people were arrested on Sunday during protests related to the Democratic national convention, according to Chicago police.
A 23-year-old female was arrested for criminal defacement of property and resisting/obstructing peace officer, CNN reported. A 28-year-old male was also arrested for criminal damage and resisting/obstructing peace officer.
About 40,000 protesters are expected to gather outside the convention on Monday to demonstrate against the war in Gaza.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is launching a $27m ad campaign focused on capturing Republican-held seats, according to a report.
The new ad buys target a mix of swing districts and red-leaning areas as the Democrats seek to retake control of the House, NBC reports.
A statement from Julie Merz, the DCCC’s executive director, reads:
House Democrats are on offense and this latest salvo of reservations reflects the strong position we are in to retake the majority. We’re able to make these moves across the map thanks to the record-breaking fundraising we’ve had – driven by Leader Hakeem Jeffries and fueled by the historic numbers of individual donors this cycle.
What’s ahead on the US election calendar?
The Democratic national convention will be held in Chicago from today until 22 August.
Chicago previously played host to the convention in 1996, when Bill Clinton was nominated for re-election, and 1968 when Hubert Humphrey was nominated.
The next presidential debate is scheduled for 10 September, with both Kamala Harris and Donald Trump confirmed.
A debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz has been confirmed for 1 October.
‘We can’t just vote’: in Chicago, protesters rally for Gaza and abortion rights
George Chidi
As thousands of Democratic delegates, party officials and elected leaders descend on Chicago for the Democratic National Convention (DNC) a smaller, strident group of protesters have taken to Michigan Avenue ahead of a week that promises several demonstrations.
A protest of up to 1,000 marchers combining support for the Palestinian cause and abortion rights gathered at the iconic corner of Wacker Drive and Michigan Avenue in Chicago Sunday evening. The protest is the first of several demonstrations, legally permitted and not, planned for the convention.
Some protesters at the march, organized by groups like Bodies Against Unjust Laws, have come explicitly to “Disrupt the DNC”.
Biden to give possible swan song at Democratic convention amid Gaza protests
David Smith
Joe Biden will take centre stage for perhaps the last time on Monday night when he addresses the Democratic national convention in Chicago – as the US president faces a backlash over one of his most complex legacies.
Tens of thousands of protesters are expected to converge in the host city to demand that the US end military aid to Israel for its ongoing war in Gaza. Activists have branded Biden “Genocide Joe” and called for the vice-president, Kamala Harris, to change course.
The biggest protest group the Coalition to March on the DNC has planned demonstrations on Monday and Thursday to coincide with Biden and Harris’s speeches. Organisers say they expect at least 20,000 activists to demonstrate, including students who protested against the war on college campuses.
Who is speaking at the convention?
Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will both speak at the convention, and Joe Biden is also expected to give an address.
Here is the expected lineup:
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Monday, 19 August: Biden will speak on the opening night, along with former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
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Tuesday, 20 August: Former president Barack Obama will give an address on the second night.
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Wednesday, 21 August: Former president Bill Clinton will join Walz on the convention’s third night.
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Thursday, 22 August: Harris will close out the fourth night of the convention.
The party will livestream the convention on its Democratic national convention website and on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.
The Guardian has a team of reporters in Chicago and will be covering the convention in depth, including live blogs each night.
‘Resurrected’ Democrats look toward 2024 convention with renewed hope
Lauren Gambino
Tens of thousands of Democrats are expected to descend on Chicago this week for their party’s convention, bubbling with a feeling few had anticipated: pure, unconfined joy.
At the end of their four-day fete, when the red, white and blue balloons tumble from the rafters of the United Center, Kamala Harris will have become the first woman of color to accept a major party’s presidential nomination in American history.
The moment will cap a frenzied few weeks for Democrats, following the vice-president’s sudden ascent to the top of the ticket in a development that has transformed the race for the White House and galvanized a party once resigned to a rematch between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
“It’s a remarkable turn of events,” said Howard Dean, a former Democratic National Committee chairman and former Vermont governor. “The Democrats have now been resurrected.”
Democrats will hear speeches from party luminaries, leaders and rising stars.
“The story here is simple and it’s one that will resonate with Americans across the country: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are fighting for the American people and America’s future — Donald Trump is only fighting for himself,” said Minyon Moore, chair of the convention.