JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — While a large crowd was gathered inside of the Prime Osborn Convention Center to hear Vice President Kamala Harris, there were multiple protests outside of the building. People began arriving to the Prime Osborn Convention Center more than 2 hours before Vice President Harris took the stage.
The amount of police and security personnel seemed to outnumber the amount of protesters outside of the convention center, however, the largest group trying to get their message heard was not directly related to Florida’s law about abortion. The loudest voices were from a group criticizing the Vice President for America's financial support of Israel and the continuation of what they call a genocide.
“We want to make our voices heard,” said Sara Mahmoud, “we want to make it clear the Biden-Harris administration can’t use Jacksonville as campaign fodder.”
Mamoud and the Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network said the fight for reproductive rights goes beyond the state of Florida and even the country.
“We 100% support reproductive justice but we’re not here to say we support reproductive justice for women in the US while not supporting women in Gaza,” said Mahmoud.
In a post on the JPSN's Instagram page, calling for a protest of the vice president's visit, the organization wrote, "While the siege prevents entry of menstrual products, ripped up tents are used instead. Premature babies, deprived of proper medical equipment, have withered away in besieged hospitals. Miscarriages in Gaza have increased by 300 percent since this genocide began. Enough is enough!"
The group chanted throughout the vice president’s speech, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, and said the Biden-Harris administration has been focused on campaigning rather than action to benefit Americans and people in the Middle East.
“They did not codify Rowe v. Wade,” said Mamoud. "They did not do anything to protect abortion but now they’re here trying to get votes off the work Florida organizers did to get abortion on the ballot in November and that’s shameful.”
The Jacksonville Palestine Solidarity Network continued their chants after the Vice President’s speech ended with the hopes of catching the attention of people leaving the convention center.
Many protestors held signs that said, "Lift the siege on Gaza now!" Other signs read, "Stop the genocide in Gaza!", "Not another dime for genocide!", "Free Palestine," and "Netanyahu lies, Palestinians die."
