It was in a highly charged atmosphere that Democrats crowned Kamala Harris as their candidate for the presidential election on Thursday, following a convention in Chicago held under the sign of hope.
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Here are five things to remember from this political high mass.
1. Farewell to Biden
“Thank you Joe!” The large gathering opened Monday with a moving tribute to outgoing President Joe Biden, a month after his shock decision to drop out of running again.
The octogenarian leader, who has devoted 50 years of his life to politics, delivered a lengthy speech on stage in which he defended his record and promised to be the “best campaign volunteer” possible for his vice president. A speech with testamentary overtones that moved many delegates to tears.
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2. Family first
The self-mockery of Doug Emhoff, the candidate’s husband, and Ashley Biden’s moving eulogy to her father also marked this convention where the family was omnipresent to introduce their loved ones with a wealth of anecdotes and hugs, on stage and in speeches.
Tim Walz, Kamala Harris’ running mate, thus virtually passed over his career as governor in silence during his major speech on Wednesday, speaking only about his experience as a father, teacher and American football coach.
And the tears of pride shed by his son Gus, seeing him on stage, moved the Democrats all the more because the teenager, described by his parents as “different”, suffers from attention disorders and anxiety.
On Thursday, it was the turn of the daughters of Kamala Harris’ niece to take the stage and explain to the audience how to correctly pronounce her name of Indian origin: “First, you say ‘Kama,’ like ‘comma” (comma, in English),” the first one said. “Then you say ‘la,’ as in ‘la, la, la,’” her sister added. And they all exclaimed in unison: “Kamala!”
3. Kamala Harris’ call for unity
In her closing speech at the convention, Harris spoke at length about her late mother, who left India at just 19 to pursue her dream of becoming a scientist.
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Presenting her as a model of demand, she spoke of the discrimination she had seen her subjected to and said she had learned from her “never to complain about injustice, but to act against it.”
In this speech, the most important of her life, the candidate detailed her vision for America and launched a determined call for unity.
“I will be a president who unites us around our highest aspirations,” she assured in a controlled tone, promising to represent “all Americans.”
4. Michelle Obama in the spotlight
On Tuesday, Michelle and Barack Obama had already electrified the Democrats.
The old one First Lady and a brilliant lawyer urged them to mobilize to elect Harris, in a vibrant address that energized the crowd. She nearly stole the show from her husband, a speaker still adored in his party. “Do something!” she shouted, a phrase repeated in unison by the delegates.
The star couple, who have maintained a strong influence, have taken on former President Donald Trump head-on, with Michelle lambasting his “hideous, misogynistic, racist lies” and Barack ridiculing him.
The former president mocked the Republican’s “obsession” with “crowd size” at his rallies, accompanying his remarks with ambiguous hand gestures that provoked laughter from delegates and sent social media into a frenzy.
5. The war in Gaza
On the sidelines of the Democratic festivities, pro-Palestinian demonstrations were held throughout the week in Chicago to denounce American support for Israel’s war in Gaza.
Several thousand people marched on Monday and Thursday, demanding a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory and an embargo on arms supplies to Israel. The marches were less numerous than the organizers had hoped.
The parents of an Israeli-American hostage held by Hamas gave a moving testimony on stage Wednesday.
At the close of the convention, Kamala Harris promised to “conclude” a truce agreement and the release of the hostages.
“So many innocent lives have been lost (in Palestine). Desperate and hungry people are constantly fleeing for safety. The scale of the suffering is heartbreaking,” she said, defending Palestinian “self-determination.”
