CHICAGO

Some delegates of the Uncommitted National Movement (UNM) on Thursday criticized the US Democratic Party for not wanting to hear the voice of Palestinians.

The delegates gathered in Chicago, Illinois to demand for a Palestinian American to be allowed to speak on the final day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC), where Vice President Kamala Harris accepted the party's nomination for president.

However, their request was rejected as they staged a sit-in outside the United Center, where the four-day event was held, with the hope that the DNC would accept their request.

"We have asked that they give five minutes. 1-2-3-4-5 minutes for a Palestinian voice in that convention," Yaz Kader, one of two officially "uncommitted" Washington delegates told Anadolu.

"The Democratic Party has declined having a Palestinian speak, and that is why we are out here today and not inside. I am a Palestinian, and it hurts, it really hurts me to know that a party that I have supported, a party that I have voted for, does not want to hear my voice. They have allowed my body in there, but they have not allowed my voice," Kader said.

Another "uncommitted" delegate from Minnesota, Adrita Rahmam, told Anadolu that it was more than 18 hours that they were sitting outside of the convention area to get a Palestinian speaker on stage.

"This party is inclusive, right? Unlike the Republican Party, this party welcomes immigrants, Muslims, Jews, Arabs, Palestinians, everybody, right? But the fact that they're not allowing Palestinian speaker to go on stage is a betrayal of that message," she said.

Michael Berg, one of the "uncommitted" delegates from Missouri, said it was a "very reasonable request" that a Palestinian American be able to speak about his or her situation at the convention.

'No more offensive weapons to Israel'

While the convention was underway at the United Center, tens of thousands of people have expressed support for Palestine since the beginning of the convention on Monday to demand an end to US support for Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.

The "uncommitted" delegates also urged the Biden-Harris administration to stop sending weapons to Israel.

"We need to stop killing Palestinians, not another bomb. Stop sending the weapons. ... We need a cease-fire now, and the only way to get it is to stop sending the weapons that are killing people," Berg said.

Israel has been involved in "terrible torture" that's been documented, he added, saying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government is "intentionally" killing children, bombing homes, mosques, hospitals, water stations, schools, and all the universities.

"Making life unlivable. This has to end," Berg said.

For her part, Rahmam said she hopes that Harris can meet the demands.

"But you can't have a cease-fire as long as we're sending weapons. And therefore, we want an arms embargo, no more offensive weapons to Israel, so that we stop killing these children. So that's what we really want. It's a very simple ask. It's a humanitarian ask," she added.

Kader, too, demanded the US to stop sending weapons to Israel that are killing children, and blowing up schools.

"This is inhumane and it is illegal under both US and international law," he said.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following an attack by the Palestinian group Hamas last Oct. 7, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and nearly 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

An ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Diyar Guldogan