In Minneapolis, protesters call for Harris-Walz to support arms embargo to Israel

Chanting "Free Free Palestine" and holding signs that read "Not Another Bomb," hundreds gathered in downtown Minneapolis' Loring Park Sunday afternoon for a rally and march to send a strong but simple message to Vice President Kamala Harris and delegates heading to Chicago for the opening of the Democratic National Convention: Stop the war in Gaza.

"We are here for Palestine," emcee Yasmin Hirsi said as she addressed the intergenerational crowd waving Palestinian flags, holding banners and clutching homemade signs. "Biden and Harris should not be funding this genocide … and slaughtering the Palestinian people."

Native American dancers and drummers kicked off the rally, which was one of 89 similar gatherings held Sunday in 36 states, said Mattias Lehman, who was one of the organizers of "Not Another Bomb" Minneapolis.

Several groups joined forces at Sunday's peaceful rally to show support for uncommitted delegates and elected officials who are in favor of an arms embargo and to call for an immediate cease fire. The conflict between Israel and the Islamic group Hamas has entered its 10th month.

More than 30,000 people have been killed since Oct. 7 when Hamas militants from Gaza launched an assault on Israel, and fighting between the two sides has continued ever since.

Protesters say the United States has supplied weapons to Israel, which it has used to attack Hamas in Gaza but has killed innocent civilians, something Nikki Racine adamantly opposes.

"We don't want the government to fund war and genocide," she said Sunday, holding a homemade sign that read "Free Palestine."

Rabbi Jessica Rosenberg with Jewish Voice for Peace Twin Cities encouraged attendees to fight on and continue to express the sentiment of Americans and Democrats who want the possible Harris-Walz administration to use tax dollars to fund life-giving institutions instead of weapons of war.

"We say no more," she said. "If the money stops, the war stops."

A woman led the crowd in a rendition of a song called "Not Another Bomb" and rhetorically asked "Can you hear us, Tim Walz?"

Harris, the Democrat's candidate for president, selected Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

About 20 volunteer marshals guided the throng along the asphalt paths of Loring Park and over the pedestrian bridge crossing Interstate 94 and Hennepin and Lyndale avenues linking the park with the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Scores of motorists passing below honked in approval as the crowd headed toward the well-known Spoonbridge and Cherry sculpture, where more speakers took to the microphone.

Attendee Kirby Crow was succinct in her message to politicians. "Stop this," she said.

Correction: This article has been corrected to clarify that the protest march was guided by volunteer marshals.