The Uncommitted National Movement blasted Democrats today during its sit-in for refusing to allow any pro-Palestine voices a speaking slot at the Democratic National Convention, despite the group picking up 29 delegates who are in attendance.
The Democratic primary campaign urged voters to choose “uncommitted” on their presidential primary ballots earlier this year as a protest vote against President Joe Biden’s uncontested re-election bid and his support for Israel.
The delegation asked the Convention to allow a Palestinian to make a speech on the event’s stage—and offered multiple possible speakers who would have their remarks vetted by the Convention ahead of time. They were denied.
Last night, Uncommitted delegates staged a sit-in outside the Convention in protest of the DNC’s decision, which they livestreamed on their social media accounts.
Campaign leader Abbas Alawieh, who is also an Uncommitted delegate from Michigan, remains seated outside Chicago’s United Center while other leaders and campaign supporters hold a press conference this morning.
“It is not just about a speaker. It is about a policy change that has just been signaled—that’s very unlikely,” Uncommitted leader and Listen to Michigan founder Layla Elabed said at the press conference today. “The very bare minimum of having a speaker is not going to happen. How can we expect policy shifts?”
Earlier this month, Elabed and Alawieh said they spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris about the Uncommitted campaign. At the time, Alawieh said he felt Harris and her campaign were open to their concerns.
Now, Alawieh says he’s giving Harris and the DNC another chance to change their decision.
“No is not an acceptable answer. Please reconsider. We’re being extremely reasonable,” Alawieh said in a tweet last night. “I’m waiting for the call from the Vice President’s team. I can’t go anywhere until the Vice President agrees to having a Palestinian American speak from the stage.”
Lexis Zeidan, another Uncommitted leader, said at today’s press conference that the campaign’s delegates and Palestinians worldwide feel forgotten by the Democratic Party.
“Today, we find ourselves grappling with the reality that the party that’s supposed to champion justice, the party that’s supposed to be championing equity,” Zeidan said, “is the same party that chose suppression and exclusion last night by denying a Palestinian American speaker the Democratic Party.”
Zeidan also said that while the campaign was grateful for the DNC panel it was granted, it deserves “a place at the forefront of our national conversations” onstage at the Convention.
The campaign’s latest cause received an outpour of support last night and this morning. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) sat with Alawieh and other delegates last night and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) FaceTimed the group.
The United Auto Workers, a union that has almost a million members, also tweeted that the “Democratic Party must allow a Palestinian American speaker to be heard from the DNC stage tonight.”
Muslim Women for Harris, a Democratic group that initially campaigned for and supported Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), said it is disbanding because the DNC won’t allow a Palestinian to speak onstage.
“We cannot in good conscience, continue Muslim Women for Harris-Walz, in light of this new information from the Uncommitted movement,” the group said in an Instagram post. “Palestinians have the right to speak about Palestine. We pray that the DNC and VP Harris makes the right decision before this convention is over.”
Until the campaign hears from the DNC or Harris, Alawieh said his phone “is not on do not disturb.”
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