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Outside the United Center in Chicago, while former President Bill Clinton had taken the stage on the third night of the Democratic National Convention, delegates from the uncommitted movement, whose support of Vice President Kamala Harris is contingent on her support of an arms embargo on Israel, announced to reporters that the DNC had denied their request to have a Palestinian American speaker on the main stage.
"We were hopeful because Vice President Harris' team has been engaging with us. They've been calling, they've been having conversations, and we told them what our policy ask is," delegate Abbas Alawieh told reporters on Wednesday. "I got a call shortly after our press conference earlier, the call said, 'Abbas, the answer is no.' I said, 'What do you mean? We're just asking for our voices to be heard.'"
The group of about 40 delegates and supporters outside staged a 24-hour "sit in," telling reporters they would not get up until Harris or someone from her team called them with an answer other than no.
"We must be heard. This level of suppression is unacceptable," said Alawieh. "I'm sitting here and I'm not going anywhere, Roger, I'm not going anywhere. You all, you all, you all need to change your mind. I hope you change your mind. Call me if you change your mind."
Harris campaign Communication Director Michael Tyler responded to ABC News' Fritz Farrow at Thursday's morning briefing.
"There’s been a lot of talk about unity this week. So, why won’t you all allow a Palestinian American speaker address the convention?" Tyler was asked. "And simply saying Trump would be worse for Arab Americans—how is that not the campaign taking their votes for granted?"
"No, we're absolutely not taking their votes for granted," Tyler answered. "I think, as it relates to uncommitted delegates at this convention, we're proud, glad that they are here. We've worked to engage them throughout the convention. We're proud of the fact that we held a panel conversations with members of the uncommitted movement," he said.
"We're proud that the Vice President herself engaged with leadership in the uncommon movement in Michigan a couple of weeks ago. That's why the campaign has continued to engage with leadership of the uncommitted movement throughout this convention," he continued. "What has already been clear that they'll continue to see progress in this campaign, is a vice president who's committed to ending the violence, ending the conflict, making sure that we resolve this conflict with a permanent cease-fire that allows Israel to fully secure itself, that fully continues to make sure that we have full humanitarian aid, but also make sure that Gazans are able to peacefully live and prosper in Gaza."
Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earlier urged the DNC in a post on X to put a Palestinian American speaker on stage.
"Just as we must honor the humanity of hostages, so too must we center the humanity of the 40,000 Palestinians killed under Israeli bombardment," she wrote. "To deny that story is to participate in the dehumanization of Palestinians. The @DNC must change course and affirm our shared humanity."
