This week the ruling Democratic Party in the oil-rich North American republic of the United States, one of the world’s top banana exporters, held a convention in the country’s third largest city, Chicago, to nominate its candidate in forthcoming presidential elections due to be held in November. The convention is being held months after ageing ruler, Joe Biden, who heads the country’s internationally recognised regime, was forced to drop out of the race following a disastrous debate with opposition leader and former President Donald Trump, who is three years his junior.

Biden’s attempts to cling to power despite his growing unpopularity had left many in the ruling party worried that the white-wing Christianist opposition – which already controls the House of Representatives, and has packed the Supreme Court with hardline religious extremists – could win back control of the country and implement draconian laws that would place further limits on the rights of women and non-white asylum seekers.

As international media have shown a spotlight on the convention, the regime has been forced to allow protests by hundreds of anti-genocide activists demanding an arms embargo against Israel. However, the demonstrators were confined to specific areas outside of the convention venue and were intimidated by a heavy police presence. Inside the arena, party delegates who unfurled a banner demanding the same as Biden spoke were physically attacked and had their banner confiscated. It is reminiscent of the violent crackdown on students who had set up encampments in universities across the country earlier in the year demanding divestment from Israel.

Further, while for the first time ever, the convention acknowledged that Palestinians have human rights, and even allowed a panel to discuss the same, ethnic Palestinians were nonetheless not allowed to address the main event, leading some to stage a sit-in.

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