Jill Stein calls for united movement to end Gaza war and expand workers' rights amid DNC protests
Chicago, Illinois - Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein is taking Chicago by storm during the Democratic National Convention (DNC) with back-to-back actions for Palestinian freedom and economic transformation.
"We hear nothing but genocide denial going in that [DNC] convention, that convention that's brought to us by AIPAC, by the war profiteers, by the health care insurance industry and big pharma and big real estate," Stein told the audience during a hybrid Workers Strike Back rally at Chicago's Grace Church of Logan Square on Tuesday.
"That is who is funding politics in America and shaping the message at the DNC, shaping the agenda in Congress, shaping the agenda of the White House."
"We say: enough of that! The American people are done being thrown under the bus."
Stein contrasted herself with Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, who has repeatedly affirmed Israel's supposed "right to defend itself" amid the deadly siege of Gaza and opposed an arms embargo to protect Palestinian lives.
"If you want to enable genocide, well, yeah, you've got your candidate in Kamala Harris, but if you want to stop genocide, voting for our campaign is how we do that."
Continued US support is costing American taxpayers a lot, with Stein putting last year's average contribution in taxes of each household at $12,000. Meanwhile, access to affordable housing, tuition-free education, universal health coverage, and living wages remains out of reach.
She insisted there is hope to turn things around.
"The bottom line is: the empire is quaking in its boots. It knows its days are numbered. The days of genocide are numbered. We are strong. We are not turning around. We are going forward. Together, we are absolutely unstoppable."
Kshama Sawant urges voters to turn away from the Democratic Party
Stein's presidential campaign has garnered endorsements from a wide array of public voices, from prominent labor advocates to leftist media figures. Her message has resonated with many as Israel continues its all-out assault on Gaza – with unwavering support from the Biden-Harris administration.
During Tuesday's rally, Workers Strike Back leader Kshama Sawant urged voters to reject the myth that Harris is not complicit in the destruction of Gaza.
"The cold hard reality is that for the people of Gaza and for working people in the United States and around the world, Harris and [Minnesota Governor Tim] Walz are just a change of deck chairs on the Titanic," Sawant said.
Workers Strike Back views voting for Stein in the 2024 election as a critical opportunity to lay the groundwork for a better future.
"If we are going to rebuild a fighting labor movement in the United States and a powerful enough anti-war movement to end the genocide, we are not going to do that by putting our illusions in the Democrats or the leaders who tell us we should trust the Democrats. We need to rebuild the militancy of the rank and file," Sawant insisted.
"That is why we are using Workers Strike Back to help build the anti-war movement and to fight for the biggest possible anti-war, pro-worker vote in this election for Jill Stein."
Jill Stein takes to the streets during the Democratic National Convention
Since landing in Chicago, Stein has thrown her support behind the Abandon Harris campaign and marched in solidarity with the besieged people of Palestine alongside thousands of protesters in the streets.
The Green Party candidate has also stood with the Poor People's Army to call out Democratic leaders for failing to speak to the issues that matter most.
"By cutting the military budget, by taxing the rich, and by adopting Medicare for All, which actually saves us half a trillion dollars a year, we can have what we need and what we deserve – health care, education, quality housing," Stein said.
"We can do this together. We say 'no' to Kamala. We say we are abandoning Harris, we are abandoning empire, and we are abandoning oligarchy. And instead, we are meeting the needs of we, the people."
Stein has been joined in the Windy City by her running mate, Prof. Butch Ware. The two are on the road together just days after winning the party nomination for the White House.
The Green Party is currently engaged in a people-powered campaign to appear on as many state ballots as possible – all the while fighting off Democratic legal challenges aimed at blocking their access.
Cover photo: IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire