CHICAGO − Following four days of both organized and spontaneous protests, a significant group of activists continued to rally Thursday night as the Democratic National Convention approached its conclusion, with Kamala Harris set to officially accept the Democratic presidential nomination.

Although there were fears that the Gaza war protests might disrupt the city and the convention proceedings, demonstrations had been relatively subdued over the past four days, with only one major confrontation—on Tuesday—outside the Israeli consulate, resulting in a handful of arrests.

“Why don’t we hear more voices standing up for us?” questioned Belal Assaf, 60, as he marched alongside his 19-year-old son Mohammed, calling for an end to the ongoing conflict. The Palestinian-American from Chicago emphasized the need for increased humanitarian support for Gaza. “It’s disheartening to feel hopeless because of the resource shortages.”

Departing from Union Park, the crowd of over 1,000 participants slowly marched Thursday night, moving beneath the elevated train tracks toward the United Center, where a large assembly of Democrats awaited the vice president’s nomination to lead the party against Donald Trump.

The demonstrators, who were demanding an end to the conflict in Gaza and U.S. military backing for Israel, filled the streets beneath the “L” train, creating a continuous wave of chanting, whistles, drumbeats, and messages written in chalk, causing visible concern among police as the march extended beyond its scheduled time.

“We’re young, we’re strong, we’ll rally all night long,” they chanted, even as numerous attendees began to leave.

As of 8:30 PM local time, no arrests had been reported.

The procession initiated with a gathering at Union Park, where police temporarily closed at least one entrance due to the overwhelming crowd. Hatem Bazian, a Berkeley professor, motivated the attendees to transform their chants into action: “Don’t let anyone shut you up. Speak out, speak out,” he urged. “Free Palestine is a mindset. Go and make it real!”

By 9:20, the demonstrators had made their way back to the street adjacent to the park, chanting “Long live Palestine.”

Protester Maureen Sweeney, 69, expressed her satisfaction with the turnout on Thursday and took a moment to share her thoughts with Police Superintendent Larry Snelling, who accompanied the crowd for much of the night.

“At my age, I feel like I can be a calming presence and ask people to keep things peaceful,” Sweeney stated. “I genuinely believe that the size of the protest influences public opinion and policy. The more people show up, the more their voices will matter.”

Originally from Chicago but now living in San Diego, Sweeney recalled the riots of the 1968 Democratic National Convention. “I witnessed the brutality towards protesters in Grant Park,” she recounted, reflecting on that historical moment.

“Tonight was uplifting. Protest is the language of the voiceless.”