Portrait of a protester: Outside the Democratic convention, a young man talks of passion and plans

AP National Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago has a long-standing tradition of protest, and college student YM Masood has been immersed in it in recent months, including at the Democratic National Convention. Masood was among thousands of protesters outside the just-finished party gathering. Their main messages to the Democratic Party and nominee Kamala Harris, were to end the war in Gaza and stop sending aid to Israel. Though the cameras often focused on scraps with police and arrests, the overwhelming majority marched peacefully. Masood is a 20-year-old political science major at the University of Illinois Chicago. He served as a volunteer marshal for several rallies and protests, helping keep things orderly and minimize conflict.