Kamala Harris is no friend of freedom or Palestine

International

Kamala Harris would be chosen as the Democratic presidential candidate, but her own record is despicable

Palestinian protesters marched to Democratic convention where Kamala Harris will speak

Kamala Harris was expected to be chosen as the Democratic presidential candidate this week at the party’s national conference in Chicago (United States).

The primary audience for her speech was the American ruling class. She was auditioning to be the choice of imperialism, the generals and the rich in the November vote.

But as part of his vote-gathering efforts, Harris paints himself as a trailblazing candidate for liberation, democracy and progress. That is false.

Harris is one of the faces of the rotten American capitalism that is destroying the lives of Americans at home and enemies abroad.

As Biden’s second, Harris has the blood of the Palestinians on her hands. This month alone, the US sent £2.7bn in aid to Israel as part of an £11bn supplement approved by Congress. That doesn’t include the huge new arms spending (see page 2).

Harris has sought to deflect suggestions that because she is Black, she is soft on immigration. She told migrants in 2021, “Don’t come” to the US after traveling to Mexico and Guatemala.

In February, she sponsored a border security bill that would increase funding for agents to push back refugees and scale up detention centers. She also prides herself on her border-related prosecutions as California’s attorney general.

Harris boasted: “I have gone after transnational gangs, drug cartels, and human traffickers who entered our country illegally.

“I’ve sued them in case after case and I’ve won.” Harris’ camp also distances itself from the Medicare for All campaign, which would give millions of Americans greater access to health care.

Yet Harris’ “left” credentials are helped by what passes for the left in the Democratic Party. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC)—who four years ago endorsed the left-wing alternative candidate Bernie Sanders—took the lead in endorsing Harris on Monday.

Anger in the streets forced AOC to call Israel’s genocide a genocide in March. That’s now forgotten. And Ilhan Omar, part of “the crew” alongside AOC, said in February that Biden “greenlighted the slaughter of Palestinians.” She later praised him as “the best president” of her lifetime and now trails Harris.

Meanwhile, thousands of pro-Palestine protesters marched to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) on Monday and were set to do so again on Thursday. Their message was clear: unite, fight imperialism, show no mercy to the criminal Democrats, and do not support Harris.

On Monday, some protesters attempted to breach the security fence and officers arrested four people. Protesters marched to the convention center carrying placards, keffiyehs and Palestinian flags.

They called for a ceasefire in Gaza, an end to US arming of Israel, and no more US imperialist intervention in the Middle East. They chanted “Genocide Joe, Killer Kamala” and “Baby-killer Blinken” at Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Inside the convention, some attendees unfurled a “Stop Arming Israel” banner during Biden’s speech. A man behind the group repeatedly hit a Muslim woman in the head with a pro-Biden sign as the convention lights dimmed.

Protesters slam Democrats

Speakers at the pro-Palestine rally in Chicago on Monday accused Democrats of complicity in genocide for supporting Israel’s 10-month assault on Gaza.

The march brought together 270 groups, including students, workers and Muslims, who are fighting against war, state and police racism, immigration laws, and for labor, reproductive and LGBT+ rights.

Nazek Sankari is co-chair of the March on DNC coalition. She is also part of the US Palestine Community Network (USPCN) in Chicago.

She said: “We stand with Palestine to demand an end to all US aid to the colonial, racist state of Israel. We want humanitarian aid in Gaza.

“We have fought with the state for a long time to get within sight and hearing of the convention.

“But there is nothing to celebrate in that gathering, it stands for genocide and war. We will continue to march and shout until we liberate Palestine.”

Kobi Guillory of the Chicago Teachers Union said: “Joe Biden, Kamala Harris and Antony Blinken are war criminals.

“Do they fund housing, healthcare, education? Do they stop killing black people? “Do they defend people’s lives from right-wing attacks? No. They have funded one of the most heinous crimes against humanity.

“They serve the same business interests as the Republicans. War criminals think they are powerful because of bombs. Power is the thousands of us marching now.”

Nesreen Hasan, also of USPCN, said: “Biden’s administration is giving Israel a green light to kill with unlimited bombs and bullets.

“Israel pulls the trigger, but the US pays for it.”