During a rally hosted by the Chicago Coalition for Justice in Palestine, local leaders and independent Presidential candidates, Jill Stein and Cornel West called upon Democrats to end the war in Gaza once and for all; and to “stand up for their values.”

Throughout the week, several coalitions have united under a common cause – demanding justice for Palestinians among various other social justice initiatives. Some protestors have expressed their disinterest in voting for Vice President Kamala Harris due to her politics surrounding the war in Gaza– and opponents of Harris agree.

Since assuming position as the Democratic nominee, Harris has not created a concrete plan for the conflict to move forward.

“I would encourage Kamala Harris to wake up and actually see the state of our world because she does not recognize, does not see, and does not intend to serve,” said Stein. “I would urge her to get out of the way or to get with the program and start to serve the American people.”

Stein and independent running-mate, West, appeared at the rally to connect with voters.

The war in Gaza continues to be a top-priority issue for voters, many of which are young voters. 

Encampment protests hosted on college campuses across America mirror those of the protests Chicago’s seen during the Democratic National Convention.

“I commend all the students at the University (level) for peacefully demonstrating and continuing to demonstrate to push back against fascism and against the genocide,” said Chicago’s 25th Ward Alderman, Byron Sigcho-Lopez.

“We’re encouraging (students) to stand up and fight for the future we deserve. We have everything to gain and nothing to lose,” Stein said.

By protesting, many of these voters hope to increase their visibility, demanding their voices be heard. Along with protesting, West said voting is another way for the youth to feel represented.

“Young people must raise their voices in a variety of different forms, and voting is only one form,” West said.