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

AP National Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago has a longstanding 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 DNC. Their main messages to the Democratic Party and their nominee, Kamala Harris, were clear: End the war in the Middle East. Stop sending aid to Israel. Though the cameras often focused on scraps with police and arrests, the overwhelming majority marched peacefully, with few issues. Masood, a 20-year-old political science major at the University of Illinois Chicago, was often among them — and served as a volunteer marshal for several March on DNC rallies and protests to help keep things orderly and minimize conflict.