Observers say there was indeed a moment after Vice President Kamala Harris was selected as the presidential candidate when pro-Palestinian activists preparing for mass demonstrations at the Democratic National Convention pondered whether to move forward with their protest plans.

According to what the Quds.com correspondent learned, the main organization that mobilized more than 200 groups to protest met with a march at the 2024 Democratic National Convention, limited to about half an hour on the day the convention announces Harris’s candidacy, and Harris announces her acceptance (Thursday, August 22, 2024).

The meeting was to consider whether to proceed with the same confrontational approach they have taken against President Joe Biden, whom they have dubbed “Genocide Joe” for his policies toward Israel. Although Harris is part of the Biden administration, she has been seen by some as more sympathetic to the pro-Palestinian cause and made a strong case for a ceasefire after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on July 25.

“We all came to a consensus that this is not going to make a difference, that Harris represents this administration,” Hatem Abudayyeh, president of the Palestinian Community Network in the United States, told Politico on Sunday, the eve of the conference. “So we will continue to work with all our might.”

He noted that his organization referred to Harris as “Kamala the Killer” even before she topped the list and continues to push for tougher restrictions on the Israeli government, such as an arms embargo — something Harris’s adviser has said she does not support.

There are at least six major protests planned for the streets of Chicago during the Democratic National Convention from Aug. 19-22. The largest is scheduled for the first day, Monday, when “tens of thousands” are expected to march within a few blocks of the United Center, where Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, will deliver their acceptance speeches.

The “family-friendly march” is being organized under the umbrella of a pro-Palestinian coalition of groups dedicated to a variety of causes. Organizers have flown in protesters from Michigan, Minnesota, Indiana and Wisconsin, and activists have also come from New York and California. The change in the Democratic nomination (Biden dropping out and Harris choosing her) has sparked a conversation in the pro-Palestinian movement about its tactics. The Democratic National Convention in Chicago was widely seen as the movement’s biggest stage for demanding that the United States change its policies toward Israel. But Harris, who called for a ceasefire earlier than some others in the party, has some activists wondering about taking a softer approach to the new Democratic nominee.

“There is admittedly a change in tone and for many, it feels like a breath of fresh air,” said Linda Low, an organizer with the Bodies Out of Unjust Laws Coalition, which includes more than 40 organizations supporting a march in Chicago on Sunday before the convention. “But the rhetoric and the promises are simply not enough.”

“We’re certainly happy and welcome to support any Democrat who says they support any of these issues, but we need to see action,” Lowe added. But for the activists organizing the conference, any hesitation about whether they should disrupt was quelled shortly after Harris faced off with protesters at a rally in Michigan during her tour of the state with her new vice presidential nominee.

"Everyone's voice matters, but I'm speaking now. I'm speaking now," she told pro-Palestinian protesters who interrupted her speech, in what was seen as an insult to the protesters.

“After I yelled at the protesters, the shame started to fade,” Joe Euzbacher, a protest organizer and member of the Chicago Coalition Against Racism and Political Repression, told Politico. The group has been behind 48 protests in Chicago, roughly one a week, since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war.

Now pro-Palestinian protesters are planning to come out in full force this week in Chicago.

“Don’t fall for the wolf in sheep’s clothing,” said Andy Thayer, a longtime progressive organizer and leader of a protest scheduled for Sunday. “Harris has made it clear that she stands 100 percent behind Israel and will not stop the flow of weapons to Israel.”

Harris' team acknowledged that the protests would continue as planned and reiterated its position on the war between Israel and Hamas.

“The vice president believes that speaking up and participating in our democracy is fundamental to who we are as Americans,” Harris campaign spokeswoman Lauren Hitt told Politico. “Vice President Harris supports the deals currently on the table for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages.”

Harris may also face scattered protests inside the convention hall where she will deliver her televised acceptance speech on Thursday. About 30 delegates will be in attendance, representing the “uncommitted” (pro-Palestine) vote in the primaries that activists have used as a means of protesting Biden’s policies on Israel.

Conference organizers said they would respect the voices speaking at the convention and were prepared for disruption inside the arena, though delegates waving their own banners might be asked to lower them. They stressed that the protesters were a small fraction of the roughly 5,000 accredited delegates.

“Thousands of Democrats from across the country are showing up here in Chicago to rally behind Harris-Walz because they believe in the vision of hope and progress that this ticket represents,” said convention spokeswoman Emily Song. “We support law enforcement’s efforts to protect the right to peaceful protest while not allowing violence.”

Outside the arena, veteran protesters and police say they are prepared for anything. Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, who led police training ahead of the 2012 NATO summit in Chicago, said he was confident the conference protests would be kept under control.

He said the NATO protest response was “successful,” “but we also look at where we could have done things better. We’ve improved some things. We’ve given our people the training they need.