A lot depends on Sanders. A pivotal moment in my own generation’s political memory is the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago. Hubert Humphrey was the nominee, he was Lyndon Johnson’s vice-president. A lot of people blamed the antiwar protests and so-called riots outside the convention, and the ensuing disaffection from the Democratic Party, for causing Humphrey’s defeat and ushering Richard Nixon into power. Now, there’s a real question: if Sanders were to say, we want one million people outside the Democratic convention making their feelings felt, that could be quite dramatic. But he’s going to be under a lot of pressure not to repeat the ‘68 convention (mondoweiss.net/2016/04/norman-finkelstein-on-sanders-the-first-intifada-bds-and-ten-years-of-unemployment/#sthash.gH315Rav.dpuf)

Sanders has now given his answer. He will not encourage but he will also not discourage a mass demonstration outside the convention.  The ball is now in our court.  I’ll be there, hopefully under a banner that says, “Justice for Palestine Now!  End the Illegal Blockade of Gaza!  End the Illegal Occupation!”