Updated as of 2:11 p.m. on Aug. 23 to include a new dominant image.
2:34 a.m.
Chicago, IL - A slew of heavy-hitters took the stage at the United Center on Monday night, closing the DNC’s first-day theme of ‘For the People.’
Lieutenant governors, governors, state senators and mayors from across the country shared their own experiences with several hot-ticket items on this year’s ballot, including the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, affordable housing, infrastructure issues, student loans and women’s health and reproductive rights.
With surprise appearances from presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris on stage and vice presidential candidate Tim Walz in the crowd, the Democratic Party kept the energy high with a continued emphasis on looking toward the future.
Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was welcomed with several minutes of standing applause before talking about her journey to becoming a delegate, having first started as a waitress and bartender in New York City.
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to a crowd of roughly 25,000 at the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19.
With Former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton following right after, Ocasio-Cortez called for the Democratic Party not to let the country backslide back to where it was under Trump’s administration.
“We will send a loud message that the peoples of this nation will not go back,” Ocasio-Cortez said. “Over the next 78 days, we will have to pour every ounce, every minute, every moment into making history on Nov. 5.”
Clinton further urged Americans to make history by electing Harris as its first female president.
“Progress is possible, but not guaranteed. We have to fight for it, and never, ever give up. There is always a choice. Do we push forward or pull back? Come together as ‘We The People,’ or split into us vs. them. That's the choice we face in this election,” Clinton said. “Kamala has the character, experience and vision to lead us forward.”
As President Joe Biden took the stage to wrap up the night, a small group of attendees held up a “Stop Arming Israel” flag — only to be torn down and taken away by other attendees seated behind them. The man who initially held up the flag was escorted out by convention security.
With his family in attendance and the night coming to and end, Biden was praised by tens of thousands of attendees holding “We <3 Joe” signs. Before Harris joined him in celebration, Biden spoke about the work he had focused on during his term and the work that the Harris campaign has left to do.
“Are we ready to vote for freedom?” Biden said. “Are we ready to vote for democracy and for America?”
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6:43 p.m.
Chicago, IL - Late Monday afternoon, during the time that the delegates leave McCormick Place and head to the United Center for the convention’s main programming, a group of nearly 15,000 pro-Palestinian protestors marched just a few blocks from Union Park through the streets around the United Center.
The march was composed of over 200 organizations, which include a coalition of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, the Arab American Action Network and Chicago’s Jewish Voice for Peace chapter.
Woman holds up her fist at a pro-Palestinian protest in Chicago's Union Park, just a few blocks away from the United Center, where evening programming for the Democratic National Convention is set to take place Aug. 19.
Arielle Rebekah, contract media strategist for JVP, was one of hundreds of people wearing “Not in Our Name” shirts — a slogan adopted by the organization to renounce pro-Israel claims that any criticism of Israel is antisemitic. Not In Our Name is a rallying cry meant against Israel for destroying Gaza in the supposed interest of their safety as Jews, according to notinourname.net.
“Really our goal as a Jewish organization is showing up in solidarity with our Palestinian and black partners,” Rebekah said. “That is quite a large part of what JVP does as an organization, is being accountable, being in solidarity with the Palestinian Liberation Movement.”
By demonstrating just outside the convention grounds, Rebekah said the coalition aims to bring forth a demand of an arms embargo on the Israeli military to U.S. political leaders.
“This illustrates, not only to our political leaders, but to all people in the U.S. and abroad, that the people in the U.S. believe, across the board, that all people deserve to be safe and that an end to violence is necessary and just and that our political leaders need to rally behind it,” Rebekah said. “The antidote to political repression, the antidote to state violence, is people power. That is what we are building.”
University of Madison, Wisconsin student and JVP member Mia Kurzer took a four-hour bus ride to Chicago to participate in the protest, and planned to take the same bus ride home after it was done.
“We are all here together to support the cause of an arms embargo,” Kurzer said. “Seeing all the solidarity between everyone — between Jews and Palestinians, between Black people and white people, between Arab people — everyone is all together for the cause. And this is a multi-ethnic, multi-generational cause. It's bringing communities together.”
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1:09 p.m.
Chicago, IL - At the Democratic National Convention, there is daily programming called “DemPalooza” featuring training, panels, workshops and more.
DemPalooza is a part of the DNC and Harris-Walz campaign’s strategic efforts to organize and reach voters in an evolving media environment and give Democrats the opportunity to take their learnings back to the communities who will decide this election.
At DemPalooza, NextGen America — the nation’s largest youth voting organization — is running a booth dedicated to boosting youth voter participation.
Antonio Arellano, vice president for communications at NextGen America, emphasized the significance of engaging young voters.
“In the recent weeks, momentum has really been through the roof. It's spiked, and so we're seeing a lot of new enthusiasm, a lot of new excitement” Arellano said. “Young voters have so much potential, and so organizing young people, I think, is essential to make sure that there's a big turnout this November.”
Antonio Arellano, vice president for communications at NextGen America, the nation’s largest youth voting organization, talks with attendees at DemPalooza at the start of the 2024 Democratic National Convention on Monday, Aug. 19.
The organization has utilized viral social media trends to engage youth voters. Arellano said this is one of the ways NextGen America is able to connect with a disenfranchised electorate.
At the DemPalooza booth, there was various merchandise and signage embracing a social media trend inspired by pop star Charli XCX's Brat album cover. This signage initially drew in 25-year-old voter Jason Mackahonik.
Mackahonik said he has felt inspired ever since Vice President Kamala Harris took the Democratic ticket.
“I was so scared before she took over, like I was terrified for the state of this country. And now I see hope again in it,” Mackahonik said.
President Biden is expected to discuss the importance of youth voters in his speech later this evening.
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12:39 p.m.
Chicago, IL - The 2024 Democratic National Convention kicked off in Chicago on Monday, Aug. 19, drawing in between 5,000 to 7,000 delegates and roughly 50,000 visitors throughout the week.
Over the next four days, each day will have a unique theme centered around the Harris-Walz campaign. Kicking off the week, ‘For the People’ events are hosted across Chicago in an attempt to signify that the Harris-Walz campaign is, “at its core,” for the people.
Youth voter Jason Mackahonik visits the NextGen America booth at DemPalooza during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 19.
At the start of each day, event organizers will also provide a rough list of everyone anticipated to speak at the convection’s main stage event each evening. According to Quentin Fulks, principal deputy campaign manager for the Harris-Walz campaign, the list of people expected to speak at the United Center later this evening include:
- President Joe Biden
- Former U.S. Secretary of State and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
- Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
- Congresswoman Jaime Raskin
- Congresswoman Jasmine Crocket
- Congresswoman Grace Smeen
- Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear
- Sen. Rapheal Warnock
- Sen. Chris Coons
“Our convention is so much bigger than ‘Who,’” Fulks said during a press briefing on Monday morning. “This convention is about who we’re fighting for and what we’re fighting for.”