In a bold move aimed to shake up the Democratic establishment, Claudia De la Cruz, the Latina socialist presidential candidate, has brought her campaign directly to the doorstep of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) – literally. Joining forces with Green Party candidate Jill Stein, De la Cruz marched with a large crowd protesting at the DNC headquarters in Chicago, on Aug. 18.

The march, which drew thousands of supporters, focused on two critical issues: safeguarding legal abortion rights and calling for an end to the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

“We will be going beyond the lesser of two evil narrative and we will actually be discussing the most pressing issues of our communities and how we break away from the two-party system that is holding us hostage,” De la Cruz said in a social media video statement last week. “Only a true independent movement of working-class people and the creation of our own political instruments can actually guarantee our survival and the survival of the planet.”

This direct action comes as Democrats in key swing states are working to keep De la Cruz off the November ballot. In Nevada, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania, Democratic officials and lawyers are challenging the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s ballot access, citing various technical issues with their nomination process.

The protest led by De La Cruz was not an isolated incident. According to ABC News, pro-Palestinian demonstrators have already been a persistent presence at the convention, staging regular protests and disrupting events. These activists have been pushing for a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to U.S. military aid to Israel, echoing De La Cruz’s demands.

On March 17, Vice President Kamala Harris’s speech at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Mich., was interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters. According to NBC News, demonstrators chanted ‘Genocide Joe has got to go’ and called for a ceasefire in Gaza. In response to the interruption, Harris firmly stated, ‘I’m speaking,’ echoing a phrase she used during a 2020 vice presidential debate. This response sparked a flurry of online reactions. Some social media users praised Harris for her assertiveness, while others criticized her, arguing that she was dismissing legitimate concerns about the conflict in Gaza.

Despite these disruptions, the Democratic leadership, including President Biden and Vice President Harris, have remained steadfast in their support for Israel and have not indicated any plans to change course on their Middle East policy.

However, political analysts, including Douglas Schoen writing for The Hill, argue that Harris’s strong alignment with Biden’s policies on Gaza may be a miscalculation, potentially alienating younger and more progressive voters who are increasingly critical of the administration’s approach to the conflict.

More protests are scheduled to occur during the convention, and the scale has prompted a significant response from local authorities. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker announced that 250 National Guard members have been placed on standby, as tens of thousands of demonstrators are expected to gather in Chicago, with a primary demand being an end to U.S. aid to Israel.

The persistence of pro-Palestinian protesters at the DNC underscores a broader ideological rift that De la Cruz’s campaign is leveraging. This divide isn’t just about foreign policy; it reflects a generational shift in priorities and political approach. While establishment Democrats struggle to balance traditional party stances with evolving voter demands, candidates like De la Cruz are positioning themselves as the voice of a new political era, one that rejects the constraints of the two-party system altogether.

De La Cruz’s campaign is tapping into this discontent, positioning herself as a voice for those who feel unheard by the Democratic establishment. “Are the Democrats really ‘better’ on the issues that impact us most as working class people?” De La Cruz’s campaign writes on her Instagram account. “It’s time we stop accepting the crumbs we are offered by this two-party system and fight for an alternative.”

Sunday’s DNC protest, which saw a significant turnout of young activists, also underscored De La Cruz’s growing appeal among Gen Z voters. “As a person from Generation Z, her statement really touches me. Today’s world is really difficult, and Generation Z is afraid of the future. That’s why I think Claudia’s statement is very good and I agree with her. I would 100% choose her,” Kübra Yavuz, a Gen Zer who has no political party affiliation, told HerCampus.

De la Cruz’s radical message seems to be resonating particularly well with Gen Z voters, a demographic increasingly drawn to progressive politics. De la Cruz’s message seems to be resonating particularly well with younger voters, who are increasingly drawn to progressive politics. A 2023 Harvard Youth Poll of 18-to-29-year-olds, released every spring, indicates that today’s young voters are significantly more progressive on these issues compared to their peers five or ten years ago. A 2019 Gallup poll also found that young adults aged 18 to 34 view socialism as positively as they do capitalism, with both systems garnering a 51% positive rating among this age group.

“This generation has never felt secure — personally, physically, financially,” John Della Volpe, director of the Harvard poll told The Washington Post.

Inside the political arena, De la Cruz’s influence is growing, despite – or perhaps because of – establishment pushback. Her call to seize the 100 largest corporations and turn them into public property has become a hot topic of debate among progressive circles. While party leaders dismiss her ideas as unrealistic, many younger Democrats are giving them serious consideration.

“If I’m going to continue to participate in this circus that is our voting system, I was probably going to go for Claudia de la Cruz,” said TikToker @miikaa_96. “But do you know why I don’t really care that my decision is viewed as throwing my vote or letting fascism win? Because as loserly as it might sound, I honestly have nothing to lose.”

Mika argues that marginalized communities have little to lose by voting outside the two-party system and view voting for candidates like De la Cruz as a way to push for more drastic changes in areas such as healthcare, education, and foreign policy.

This anti-capitalist sentiment is backed by data. The 2023 Harvard University poll found that 51% of young adults ages 18-29 do not support capitalism. This statistic lends credence to De la Cruz’s message and her calls for radical economic restructuring.

Climate change, another cornerstone of De la Cruz’s platform, is particularly crucial for young voters. Nearly two-thirds of first-time young American voters in an America in One Room poll agreed the U.S. must aim for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with about four in five supporting “new generation” nuclear energy to supplement renewables.

De la Cruz’s background resonates with many young voters. Raised in the South Bronx by working-class Dominican immigrants, she speaks candidly about her experiences of poverty and inequality. Her running mate, Karina Garcia, shares a similar story as the daughter of Mexican immigrants.

“I looked to Claudia as a working class leader who showed me what I could do as a woman in the struggle. When I saw those things in Claudia, I knew I could be a leader,” said Miya Tada, a young campaign volunteer at the launch in 2023.

Tada’s enthusiasm reflects a broader trend of increasing political engagement among young Americans, as evidenced by recent voting patterns. Indeed, a 2022 survey by Tufts University’s CIRCLE showed that 27% of voters aged 18-29 turned out for the 2022 midterm elections, the second-highest youth turnout for a midterm in the past 30 years.

As the DNC continues and the November election approaches, it’s clear that De la Cruz and her supporters aren’t going away quietly. Whether the Democratic Party can incorporate their energy and ideas – or potentially risk alienating a generation of voters – remains to be seen.

“We don’t want to deal with the symptoms of capitalism,” De la Cruz told Refinery29. “We need to deal with the actual illness, and the biggest illness that we are dealing with globally is a capitalist system. We need to be able to create another structure. Voting for the lesser of two evils is not a strategy we should continue to entertain.”