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21-08-2024
CHICAGO: its day two of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois. You can watch it live at the top of this page
Former President Barack Obama will deliver remarks this evening, as will former First Lady Michelle Obama
Other key speakers include Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Kamala Harris’s husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff
Meanwhile, protests outside the Israeli consulate in Chicago turned tense, with scuffles breaking out as as demonstrators marched towards police clad in riot gear
The four-day convention kicked off on Monday, when President Joe Biden delivered an emotional speech defending his presidency, saying: “America, I gave my best to you”
Tuesday’s protest comes after thousands marched through Chicago in a mostly peaceful demonstration on Monday, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to US support for Israel
Tuesday’s theme for the convention is “A Bold Vision for American’s Future”
The situation is suddenly much tenser here at the protest, which organizers have called “Shut down the DNC for Gaza”.
With the police hugely outnumbering them, the demonstrators began marching towards the police lines and scuffles quickly broke out.
Ranks of officers in riot gear pushed against the protesters who were still chanting and carrying Palestinian flags, shouting at them to move back, and for a few minutes a chaotic, swaying mass of bodies surged and stumbled as the police tried to stop the protest spilling out into the surrounding streets.
A few arrests have been made.
For now an uneasy calm has been restored, with the protesters corralled again in the street in front of the Israeli consulate.
With just three months to go before the 2024 election, thousands of people have gathered in Chicago this week for the Democratic National Convention.
This year’s event is at the United Center Arena and started Monday 19 August, continuing through Thursday.
The convention, which happens every four years before a presidential election, looks slightly different from those in the past. The party already has officially nominated Vice-President Kamala Harris in a virtual roll call after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race but many of the other DNC traditions including appearances from celebrities and memorable speeches from party leaders – will remain the same. US convention date back to the 1830s, when a group of Democratic delegates supporting President Andrew Jackson gathered in Baltimore to nominate him for a second term.
On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama is expected to deliver a prime-time speech at around 21:00 local time (03:00 BST). Former First Lady Michelle Obama will also speak.
The evening will also feature several prominent senators on the convention stage: Majority Leader Chuck Schumer; Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Illinois Senator Tammy Duckworth.
Other key speakers include Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, Mesa, Arizona Mayor John Giles and Harris’s husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
After the convention experienced a number of delays on Monday, DNC organizers said that the program would begin earlier, at approximately 17:30 local time.
Wednesday’s line-up reportedly features former President Bill Clinton and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, among others. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
