The DNC protests in support of Palestinians need to happen. Why isn't that obvious?

On Monday, thousands of protesters representing 270 groups marched in Chicago, the location of this year’s Democratic National Convention. It followed a weekend of protests in solidarity with Palestinians and will continue into the week. That's a good thing.

Pro-Palestinian protesters are exercising their rights and encouraging an important conversation within the Democratic Party. They are asking us to consider the lives of people who are being killed and injured by U.S.-made weapons.

The best thing for everyone would be to let these protests occur without comparisons with the 1968 DNC. How the party responds could determine whether the energy that Vice President Kamala Harris has amassed will continue growing.

The right, on the other hand, seems to be waiting for chaos that might never materialize. Hopefully, the entire week will be peaceful.

The DNC protests and what's happening in Gaza?

These protests are about more than disrupting the DNC. Like the protests on college campuses earlier this year, this march and call to action are about bringing attention to the ongoing death and destruction we are witnessing in Israel's occupied territory and our country's implication in all of it.

More than 40,000 Palestinians have died since fighting began Oct. 7 in the Israel-Hamas war. According to the United Nations, 63% of structures in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged.

Despite this tragedy, the United States is still arming Israel. Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken approved the sale of more than $20 billion worth of military equipment to the country.

The GOP and women: You're not imagining it. Republicans have been weird about women for years.

Meanwhile, Hamas rejected on Sunday a U.S. cease-fire proposal. Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss a new proposal, which he called “the best, maybe the last, opportunity to get the hostages home, to get a cease-fire and to put everyone on a better path to enduring peace and security.”

American policy in the region hasn't changed much. That's why people are protesting.

It's why it would make no sense for Republicans to start claiming that these protesters represent chaos within the Democratic Party. They represent a difference of opinion, yes, but most important, they are raising their voices on behalf of people who are hurting.

That doesn't mean they want Donald Trump as president again or Republicans in power.

The uncommitted DNC delegates

The demonstrations are expected to continue all week. Aside from their demand that the United States no longer aid Israel, the protesters are also marching in defense of LGBTQ+ rights, abortion rights and the right to unionize.

It’s not the only way Gaza is shaping the convention and the conversation surrounding it: About 30 uncommitted delegates are attending the DNC out of 4,995, thanks to a nationwide push for a protest vote in the primary elections.

Blame Trump and MAGA. Republicans, are you still confused by Harris' momentum?

These delegates don’t represent the entire party, but they do represent Democratic voters who disapprove of Israel’s military action and the thousands of people who voted as such.

They are trying to evoke conversation among the party about who Democrats are and what they stand for. Personally, I think that's a good thing. It's better for us all to be confronted with the reality of what's happening in Gaza so that we can continue pushing for a cease-fire agreement.

Republicans are posturing about Chicago and the DNC

Republicans, meanwhile, are trying to stoke fear about the planned demonstrations.

Trump took to Truth Social to comment: "The Radical Left protesters in Chicago are going after the Democrat (sic) Party because the (sic) know they are weak and ready to break into a full blown party of Socialism or, if they really do their job, and with a little bit of luck, the Communist Party of the United States of America."

This was after his campaign tried the same messaging.

“Harris and Walz are in Chicago for the the (sic) DNC, which is already shaping up to be a Summer of Love redux as the left flank of their party descends into chaos,” Jake Schneider, the rapid response director for the RNC, said in an email to the news media Monday morning.

Opinion alerts: Get columns from your favorite columnists + expert analysis on top issues, delivered straight to your device through the USA TODAY app. Don't have the app? Download it for free from your app store.

Despite the right’s best efforts, I don’t really think that’s what’s happening. Protesting, an act protected by the First Amendment, is a way for people to make their voices heard. The vast majority of them, and others who support them, want to vote for a Democratic president in the fall. I hope that these protests remain peaceful and are not escalated by the police force or political noise.

Democrats, don't listen to the Republicans. Listen to the protesters.

Follow USA TODAY elections columnist Sara Peque?o on X, formerly Twitter, @sara__pequeno

You can read diverse opinions from our USA TODAY columnists and other writers on the Opinion front page, on X, formerly Twitter, @usatodayopinion and in our Opinion newsletter.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The DNC protests in Chicago are about protecting Palestinians