On April 15, Chicago police aggressively prevented marchers during the worldwide A15 day of action. Organizers say the repression was a message from the city ahead of the upcoming Democratic National Convention in August.
The Daily Kos censored a post by Muslim DNC delegates opposing a role for Susan Rice in the Biden cabinet after the website was pressured by Biden allies in the Democratic Party.
The creation of the new DNC deputy chair position and appointment of Keith Ellison to this never-before-existing post was an attempt to dress-up another ugly smear campaign against an African American Muslim candidate to protect Israel’s influence over the Democratic Party.
Bernie Sanders delegates to the DNC tell Wilson Dizard how Hillary Clinton supporters orchestrated the systematic suppression of any posters and signs considered critical of the candidate, and even ones dedicated to Palestinian human rights. Sitina Gutierrez, 38, a Bernie delegate from Texas tells him, “Somebody, a Clinton supporter, told me to take my sign down because it’s offensive. I asked her why are Palestinian rights offensive to her and she said ‘because I am for American rights.'”
If Georgia congressman Hank Johnson had not been criticizing the Israeli occupation when he likened Israeli settlements to “termites,” no one would have noticed. The smearing of Johnson as an alleged anti-Semite is vicious and contradicts the Torah.
The forces that tore apart the Democrats in 1968 were arrayed in Philadelphia, but the party and the police (the establishment!) were determined to defuse the destructive energies this time round. It’s not working so far.
Wilson Dizard talks to Mark, a Democratic Party consultant in Philadelphia for the DNC, about U.S. responsibility to the Palestinian people given decades of support for the Israeli occupation. “I feel for them. Palestinian Americans, great. They’re Americans. But Palestinians not my problem. We have things to deal with here,” Mark explains.
During his speech to the DNC Bill Clinton said, “If you’re a Muslim and you love America and freedom and you hate terror, stay here and help us win and make a future together, we want you.” Imraan Siddiqi responds: “The DNC is presenting itself as a more tolerant, open option in comparison to what the RNC has to offer. If we look a little deeper, however – it seems as though there is still much work to do. Bill Clinton’s comments were just a glimpse of this looming beneath the surface.”
Wilson Dizard reports from Philadelphia on day three of the Democratic National Convention: “The Academy Awards of Democratic Party politics continued into its fourth day on Thursday after Hillary Clinton clinched the nomination from the party of the people on Tuesday. Protests outside the Wells Fargo Center continue, and sometimes include dissident Bernie Sanders’ delegates who have come to feel the Democratic party doesn’t want them around, and that security confiscates their signs. ‘The DNC has its reps ripping up signs that support Palestinian rights so ppl can’t take them out of the trash,’ tweeted journalist Rania Khalek.”
Ali Kurnaz of Orlando electrified Palestinian human rights community by unfurling a Palestinian flag on the Democratic convention floor Monday. Millennials have thanked him for his act, and he says he is the future of the Democratic Party.