Logan Church: Why Kamala Harris won't get some Democrats' votes

Analysis: Logan Church meets protesters with conflicting agendas at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, pointing to a challenge ahead as Kamala Harris handles differing views within her party at the same time as trying to defeat Donald Trump.

Sitting in the Democratic National Convention media centre, the sound of drumming reverberated throughout the enormous marquee.

Chicago city police, the Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies worked hard to keep large crowds of protesters away.

They had to work hard to do it.

As the Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris and the President, Joe Biden, arrived at the United Centre in Chicago, thousands of people marched outside. More protested in the central city.

I spent much of the morning talking with them, many of whom had travelled some distance to protest outside the convention.

Most were Democrats. And all were furious with their party.

Among them was Rhonda Ramiro, of the International Committee for Human Rights for the Philippines.

“We’re out here to protest the Democratic National Convention because the Democrats have been pushing really horrible warmongering policies that have been harming everybody in the world,” she told me.

“We see the ways that the Democratic party, under the Biden administration, has been fuelling genocide in Palestine, a buildup to war in Asia and the Pacific, massing bases around the world, funding for more and more war in Ukraine.

"These policies have been robbing the people of the United States - for healthcare, for housing, for education.”

As we spoke, a group was setting up giant caricatures of Biden, Harris, and Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, all depicted with bloody fangs.

“The policies of the Biden Administration are the policies of Kamala Harris,” Ramiro continued.

“Kamala Harris’ track record prior to becoming the Vice President actually really pushed a lot of militarisation of police departments, pushed the criminalization of poor people. If this is her track record, we don’t expect to see a change.”

Another protester, Neil Resnikoff, described the American government as increasingly imperialistic.

“Politicians sometimes do respond to great pressure, and if she wants to be elected, she’s going to have to gain a lot of the uncommitted voters.”

Foreign aid for Israel has become one of the most divisive issues among Democrats, and especially younger voters.

“We are the majority of the party,” claimed another protester I walked by. She held a sign saying “No Borders, No Walls”.

“We’re here today to make our voices heard and hope that [Harris] will take this seriously and listen to constituents."

Celia Nimz, of the National Students for Democratic Society, listed off a list of demands to me at the back of large park where a makeshift "speakers' stage" had been set up.

“Our main reason we’re here is to demand the genocide in Gaza stops now. [We also] want immigrant rights and legalisation for all. We want the protection of union rights and the right to strike here in the US, we’re demanding that the Democrats protect women’s and reproductive rights and the right to abortion, along with LGBTQ rights.”

I asked if she thought any of that might change if Harris was elected president.

"What won't change is the fact that the US government, and specifically the Democratic Party, will be continuing to fund the genocide in Gaza – and because of that we will not vote for Kamala Harris as she’s going to continue that policy,” said Nimz.

“Who do you vote for?” I asked, thinking the range of alternatives would be limited.

“We’ll protest,” she said. “We won’t vote.”

It would be a falsehood to say that these protests represent an existential threat to Harris’ election efforts. And that’s because despite their anger, everyone I spoke to thought Donald Trump was the far worse option.

But they do show that one of the challenges for Harris is to prove she can be the leader of a party that holds differing views and ideologies within it.

Perhaps that was shown most clearly when a pro-Israel protest marched right through the pro-Palestine demonstration.

The bigger pro-Palestine protest erupted in noise, with large numbers of demonstrators rushing to create a human chain to keep them away. Police on bikes rushed to get between them.

There were plenty of pro-Israel Democrats - Richard Levik among them, holding up a sign emblazoned with anti-Hamas messaging and wearing a badge that had Trump’s name and a stop sign running through it.

“I’m here because this protesting that has been going on, that I knew would come to this convention, has been disturbing,” he told me.

“There’s not really strong statements supporting Israel's right to defend itself."

Despite the tension outside the arena, inside, the energy was electric.

Like Trump did at the Republican National Convention a month ago, Harris made a surprise appearance on day one, forgoing the traditional podium speech to address the crowd with a microphone in hand.

The crowd exploded in applause.

Harris used the opportunity to pay tribute to Biden, whose stepping aside allowed her to make this presidential run.

“Joe Biden, thank you for your historic leadership, for your lifetime of service to our nation, and for all you will continue to do. We are forever grateful to you,” she said to loud applause.

She’s expected to accept her party’s nomination on Friday New Zealand time.

And then the final race begins.