Detroit Evening Report: Abandon Biden campaign relaunches as ‘Abandon Harris’

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Farah Khan, co-chair of the Abandon Harris campaign, speaks outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.

Farah Khan, co-chair of the Abandon Harris campaign, speaks outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn on Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024.

The Abandon Harris Campaign launched on Thursday in Dearborn as a continuation of the Abandon Biden Campaign.

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The campaign aims to change the policies of Vice President Kamala Harris regarding Israel’s ongoing military action in Gaza — seeking a permanent ceasefire and an arms embargo.

Michigan Co-chair Farah Khan says the Abandon Harris campaign is looking for actual policies, not just words and inaction.

“We will hold the Harris Biden administration accountable for their role in this atrocity,” Khan said at a press event outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library in Dearborn on Thursday. “Accountability means more than words. It means actions. We must be clear — they have had their chance, and they have failed us.”


Listen: Interview with Farah Khan, co-chair of Abandon Harris for Michigan


The Gaza Health Ministry reports that over 41,000 Palestinian civilians have been killed and more than 95,000 injured during Israel’s military campaign in Gaza since Oct. 7 — the day Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people in Israel, taking 250 hostages.

Campaign leaders say the Abandon Harris movement is active in at least nine states — including swing states like Michigan. Dr. Hassan Abdel Salam, national co-chair of the campaign, says they are asking voters not to vote for either party’s candidate.

“Our vote is magnanimous,” Salam said. “It’s a moment for democracy to triumph, for us to change the political landscape.”

The campaign plans to endorse a third party candidate soon.

Reporting by Nargis Rahman, WDET

Other headlines for Friday, Sept. 13, 2024:

  • Henry Ford Hospital held a groundbreaking on Thursday for its $2.2 billion Detroit campus expansion, anchored by a new 1.2 million-square-foot hospital facility on the south side of West Grand Boulevard
  • The city of Detroit’s Youth Affairs Team and Detroit ACE are hosting an artist showcase on Friday, Sept. 20, called “Young, Gifted and Woke.”
  • Usher’s Past Present and Future Tour is continuing its run through the Motor City Friday at Little Caesars Arena. On his way there he stopped by the Boys and Girls Club of Detroit to help highlight the lack of access some youth have across the country to quality after-school programs.

Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.

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Authors

  • Hernz Laguerre
    Hernz Laguerre Jr. is a Multimedia Journalist at 101.9 WDET. He is one of the co-host for "Detroit Evening Report," one of the weekend anchors for "Weekend Edition," the producer for our political podcast, "MichMash," and reports on arts, culture and politics.
  • Nargis Rahman
    Nargis Hakim Rahman is the Civic Reporter at 101.9 WDET. Rahman graduated from Wayne State University, where she was a part of the Journalism Institute of Media Diversity.