CHICAGO (NewsNation) — Holding tightly to her 3-year-old daughter’s hand, Leena Saleh marched side by side with thousands of demonstrators calling for a cease-fire in Gaza just outside the Democratic National Convention Monday.
Saleh, a Palestinian American, said she wanted to show her support to the mothers in Gaza who have lost their children and are enduring ongoing violence in the Strip.
“I pray for them. I read about them. I learn their names. I learn their stories, and we are all with them, “ Saleh told NewsNation as she and her daughter stopped at a playground along the protest route.
“I can’t imagine being a mother in Palestine and Gaza right now. … We have nothing but unimaginable support and love but also heartbreak and devastation,” Saleh said.
The mother was among several parents who brought their young children to the massive demonstration organized by dozens of pro-Palestinian organizations.
Some were strapped into strollers dressed in watermelon clothing, and others rode on their fathers’ shoulders, holding signs for peace in the war-torn region.
“It’s just important for people to understand that and for my kids also to understand that the liberation of Palestinians is a liberation for everybody,” Safia Matariyeh, a demonstrator who brought her 9- and 7-year-old daughters, told NewsNation.
Matariyeh said she has consistently brought her kids to Gaza protests in an effort to teach them that their “voice matters and that a revolution does come from the people.”
The massive march happened as delegates and lawmakers filed into the United Center ahead of President Joe Biden’s farewell speech. Biden has faced severe criticism from groups who say he has done little to stop the violence in Gaza.
But even as Harris has taken the reins, many parents say Gaza is the only issue on their minds this election season.
Palestinian-American Fidaa Elaydi, who has lost family in Gaza, blames Biden and his administration. The mother brought several young to the march.
“My kids and I are here in order to stand up to the Democratic Party to tell them that the American people don’t support our tax dollars going to massacring Palestinian children and Palestinian families and that we hope the Harris administration will have a different stance,” she said.
Elaydi said she will not vote for Harris or “any Democrat” until changes to the party completely stop all funding to Israel and ensure aid reaches people in Gaza.
Others were reluctant to pledge their support for Harris as well.
“I’m not sold on her, but I’m also not going to say that I’m not going to vote for her. It really just depends on where she goes from here. There’s still a couple more months to the election, and if she can kind of change policy around this,” Sarah Safe, another mother at the march, said.
Safe, whose four-year-old was with her, said she wants her child to understand the “importance of taking part in anything that you can possibly do to help.”
“It is important for her to be a part of these movements and to know the importance of, like I said, speaking out, especially as Americans, we have so much privilege,” she said.
On Monday night, several Democratic lawmakers addressed the war in Gaza, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who called for a cease-fire and the safe return of Israeli hostages. Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock called for the protection of the “children of Israel and the children of Gaza.”
Chicago police maintained a heavy presence and tight perimeter around the march Monday.
Several protesters breached one of the United States Secret Service barriers near the United Center, though they remained behind another fencing barrier. Multiple people were detained by police following the fence’s collapse, with one arrestee refusing to leave and being carried away by police.
Parents told NewsNation that while they were aware of safety concerns at the march, they did not feel they or their children were in danger.
“I am very, very aware of my surroundings every time I bring her,” Safe said, adding that she follows all the rules given to them by organizers, “but I do think it’s really important to bring her out to these protests.”