Demonstrators at a rally Friday in front of the state Capitol called on Michigan Democrats to mark “uncommitted” on their presidential primary ballots instead of President Joe Biden.
The organizers said they are determined to send a message to Biden that he has not done enough to stop Israel’s military offensive against Hamas in Gaza that’s already cost thousands of civilian lives.
“We are standing here together today as a movement united to fire Biden,” said organizer Krista Phelps.
Their numbers weren’t huge – a little more than 50 people gathered in front of the Capitol steps. But they say a few people can make a big difference in the Democratic primary.
Dr. Mohammad Alam said he feels betrayed after voting for Biden in 2020.
“Right before the election, the Muslim-American community, we sat down with him. We voted for him. We gave him the victory,” he said. “But at the end of the day, three years down the line, it’s all fake, empty and false promises.”
Early voting in Michigan’s Democratic and Republican primaries began Saturday.
Michigan Democratic leaders defended Biden’s handling of a complicated foreign affairs that has sharply divided Americans.
U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) said she has represented Muslim-Americans during her time in Congress and said the subject remains “raw.”
Dingell said it’s not too late for Biden to win back skeptics if he helps negotiate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas with protections for civilians in Gaza.
“We know who the two candidates are going to be,” she said. “There’s going to be a very clear choice in November and we’re going to have make sure that people really understand what their clear choice is.”
Dingell said once the primary is over, Democrats have to remind voters of former President Donald Trump’s words and history with Arab- and Muslim-Americans, including a 2015 campaign promise of a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what is going on.”