Kamala, Kamala, You Can't Hide

A group of protestors attended the rally in order to disrupt Harris' speech and express our opposition to her campaign. Her speech followed that of several local and state-level politicians, such as Sen. Debbie Stabenow, Rep. Elissa Slotkin, and Rep. Debbie Dingell, all of whom have expressed belief in a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine and view Israel as one of our strongest political allies. Knowing that they were in the state with the largest Arab/Muslim population in the country, knowing that Michigan voters have experienced inexplicable loss due to their so called "representatives" commitment to a genocidal, apartheid state, not one speaker so much as uttered the word, "Palestine."

Halfway through Harris' speech, three members from our group disrupted her, shouting, “Kamala, you need to call for a ceasefire in Gaza. We demand an arms embargo and a free Palestine."  We all then chanted continuously: “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide, we won’t vote for genocide.” Several people around us demanded us to shut up while others scolded that this was not the right time or place.

Only upon being escorted from the rally and looking back at posts and videos did we finally realize that Harris had actually replied to us. She began calmly, stating that this is a democracy in which every voice matters, before quickly reverting back to her main campaign strategy: shitting on Trump's campaign strategy. As we kept chanting, she went on about Project 2025 and Trump's plan to further the climate crisis, end the ACA, ban abortion, etc. When we didn't stop, she directly addressed us, saying “You know what, if you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking, " to which her supporters roared in applause. 

For many, Harris's presidential campaign restored lost faith in the Democratic party. People who opposed Biden fell blindly into line behind her, borderline fetishizing the idea of a Black woman president to fulfill their liberal dreams. Harris has proven time and time again that she intends to do very little in terms of changing policy from the last four years. People believe that Kamala Harris will bring about a ceasefire. In reality, the Biden administration has had the opportunity to stop funding Israel for over 11 months now. Instead they funnel billions of dollars into the Zionist entity. Her fans believe we must first vote her into office and then make our demands, claiming to be worried about the thousands of Palestinian lives that will end under a Trump presidency. In the words of one of our protestors at the rally, "They just seem so concerned about a hypothetical genocide when there is an actual genocide that is happening in the current moment." If the photo and video footage of death, murder and slaughter coming out of Palestine has not shaken them enough to enforce a ceasefire, then our votes don't stand a chance.

Until Harris takes concrete, actionable steps towards a free and liberated Palestine, she should not know peace. She must face the consequences of her complicity at every rally, at every turn of her campaign, every day until election day, and if she becomes the leader of this empire, every day after. There will never be an appropriate time or place to protest genocide. We refuse to wait for some false perfect moment in order to escalate.

Refusing to vote for Kamala Harris because she is a genocidal maniac isn't a "privilege," we aren't ignoring all the ways in which her campaign promises safety for people here, we aren't "single-issue voters." Liberation for the Palestinian people is intrinsically linked to liberation for marginalized people here, and neither will be won by participating in an electoral system designed to oppress us. Cop cities in the U.S. employ instructors who cut their teeth in the IOF, training American police alongside Israeli soldiers. Tax dollars that should fund education, healthcare, and infastructure in low-income communities are sent to Israel in the form of bombs and heavy weaponry. What we need to do now is not decide which party we're voting for or which figurehead we want to feed us lies. Instead, we must continue to take risks, center the movement for Gaza, and remember that our "safety" means nothing without the safety of everyone.