CHICAGO, Illinois — Roughly a dozen delegates from the pro-Palestinian “Uncommitted” movement staged a sit-in outside the Democratic National Convention, demanding a speaking slot — but would not speak to Breitbart News.
The sit-in began on Thursday evening, after the parents of Israeli-American hostage Hersh Goldberg-Polin addressed the convention. Goldberg-Polin lost his left hand and forearm in the Hamas terror attack of October 7, and was abducted from the Nova music festival in southern Israel. He remains in captivity in Gaza.
As Breitbart News reported, delegate Abbas Alawieh, who is among the co-founders of the movement, led a walkout from the convention and demanded that the Democratic Party give equal time to a pro-Palestinian speaker to protest the war in Gaza.
He sat down outside the United Center with several colleagues, and the sit-in continued through the night, visited by several left-wing members of Congress, such as Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). Fellow left-wing “Squad” member Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) addressed the group as Breitbart News watched.
One participant was overheard saying that Jon Polin, Hersh’s father, had come out to visit the protest and offer his support for their effort to have a pro-Palestinian voice onstage — which was more than Democratic leaders had done.
Another said that there had not been any change as of noon on Thursday — that is, the Democratic Party had not agreed to add a pro-Palestinian speaker — and hence the sit-in would continue through the evening, if necessary.
Beyond a speaking slot, members of the movement are hoping to convince Democrats to cut off aid to Israel, especially military aid. Banners onside read “ARMS EMBARGO NOW” and “NOT ANOTHER BOMB.”
After some initial, friendly banter, Breitbart News attempted to interview the “Uncommitted” participants on camera, but they declined — despite stating, in public, that they are seeking a wide audience for their demonstration.
One of the delegates addressed his colleagues, warning them that Breitbart is a “far-right misinformation distributor,” and that they should “not speak to far-right disinformation sites” but rather the “many, many reporters here who are amplifying stories that we have to share.”
A Democratic National Convention delegate who is part of a pro-Palestinian “Uncommitted” sit-in outside the United Center tells fellow protesters not to speak to Breitbart News. August 22, 2024 (Joel Pollak / Breitbart News)
The delegates only represent a contingent of 30 overall representatives within a convention that has nearly 4,700 representatives. But they represent thousands of voters each — and in swing states like Michigan, that could make the difference in November between Vice President Kamala Harris (D) and former President Donald Trump (R).
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
