On Eve of DNC, 'Not Another Bomb' Rallies Demand US Arms Embargo on Israel

On the eve of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, proponents of a U.S. arms embargo on Israel—which is on trial for genocide at the World Court for its assault on Gaza that has killed over 40,000 Palestinians—took to the streets of cities in states from New York to Hawaii on Sunday to amplify their demand of "Not Another Bomb" for Israeli military forces.

"It is crystal clear: In order to achieve a cease-fire in Gaza, the U.S. must immediately stop arming Israel," the Not Another Bomb campaign—an initiative led by the Uncommitted National Movement—said in a statement ahead of this weekend's demonstrations.

On Sunday, #NotAnotherBomb protests took place in dozens of cities including New York, Atlanta, Albuquerque, Boston, Los Angeles, and Oakland, California—the hometown of Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee whose campaign says does not support suspending U.S. arms shipments to Israel.

Earlier, Not Another Bomb demonstrations happened Saturday in cities including Chicago; Dearborn, Michigan; Milwaukee and Madison, Wisconsin; and on Friday in Washington, D.C.

"It is unacceptable that during a housing crisis, school closures, and the skyrocketing cost of living squeezing working families, billions of dollars are going to arm Israel as it commits genocide in Gaza," said Samer Arabi of the Arab Resource and Organizing Center, which endorsed the Oakland rally along with Jewish Voice for Peace and over a dozen other groups.

"Bay Area communities deserve investment in care and safety, and have been demanding a cease-fire in Gaza for months," Arabi added. "We need policy that addresses our community's needs, instead of sending arms for Israel to bomb Palestinian kids."

At least 40,000 Palestinians, including more than 16,000 children, have been killed during Israel's 317-day assault on Gaza, according to Palestinian and international officials. The Biden administration has been accused of complicity in genocide for providing Israel with tens of billions of dollars in armed aid, as well as diplomatic cover including vetoes of multiple United Nations Security Council resolutions.

On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel to push for a cease-fire agreement amid intense Israeli attacks in Gaza, including an airstrike that wiped out an entire family near Deir al-Balah.

Not Another Bomb protests are set to continue through the Democratic National Convention, which is scheduled to begin Monday in Chicago. Tens of thousands of activists are expected to rally in the city, which saw a brutal police crackdown on anti-Vietnam War protesters during the 1968 DNC.

In a Mother Jones interview published Saturday, Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson asserted that "what's happening right now" in Gaza "is not only egregious, it is genocidal."

"We have to acknowledge and name it for what it is and have the moral courage to exercise our authority," Johnson added.

Mohammed Khader, who manages policy and advocacy campaigns at the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights—a partner in the Not Another Bomb campaign—said that "despite clear calls for an arms embargo, Democratic officials have continued to sponsor the mass murder of Palestinian families in gross violation of U.S. and international law."

"Palestinians in Gaza cannot wait until after the U.S. election while bombs are dropping and burning their loved ones alive," Khader added. "An arms embargo is urgently needed, and it's an important electoral strategy, supported by a strong majority of Democratic voters who are paying close attention to the Harris campaign's policies."

The Uncommitted National Movement—which called on Democratic primary voters to pressure Biden by voting "uncommitted"—received 18.9% of the vote in Minnesota and 13.3% in the key swing state of Wisconsin.

Last week, a survey commissioned by the Institute for Middle Eastern Understanding Policy Project and conducted by YouGov revealed that Democratic and Independent voters in the swing states of Arizona, Georgia, and Pennsylvania would be more likely to vote for Harris if she backed an arms embargo on Israel.