In a dramatic and historic reversal of fortunes, President Joe Biden will deliver the keynote address on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention instead of accepting the party’s nomination at the end of the four-day event.

Meanwhile outside the DNC in Chicago, thousands of protesters are expected to rally for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war — bringing back memories from the 1968 DNC in the Windy City.

In the weeks that followed Biden’s disastrous late June debate performance and subsequent decision to step aside from political consideration, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has taken off like a rocket.

Her campaign has more than recovered what ground was lost to the public’s perception of the sitting president’s ability to meet the rigors of office thru another four-year term — and evidently frustrated former President Donald Trump’s plan to campaign against the 81-year-old incumbent former candidate’s apparently diminished capabilities.

Harris, buoyed by renewed political enthusiasm among the nation’s left-leaning constituency and essentially uncontested by party leaders, now suddenly stands ready to ceremonially accept the party nomination she already won via roll call vote not even two weeks ago.

Biden, meanwhile, will set the stage with a speech scheduled for Monday evening.

“The President will give the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. The First Lady will also speak at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night,” according to the White House.

What is the DNC?

The Democratic National Convention will bring together around 4,600 party delegates from across the country for a four-day meeting during which the party’s platform will be officially adopted. Under normal circumstances it’s also where the party’s nomination vote would take place. This year’s convention will feature a ceremonial nomination for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

Harris, and according to party rules Walz by extension, was officially nominated by 99% of the party’s delegates during a five-day long virtual roll call vote that ended on Aug. 6. The Vice President was the only candidate allowed a vote, after a short nominating window opened following Biden’s July 21 decision to exit the race and closed without a contender surfacing.

When and Where is the DNC?

This year’s event will be held in Chicago, with speeches given at the United Center in the evening and policy meetings held at McCormick Place during the day, from Monday through Thursday.

The DNC was last held in Chicago in 1996, when former President Bill Clinton was seeking reelection.

The entire event will be broadcast live by C-SPAN, on both their cable network and their mobile app, and most news networks are scheduled to cover the evening speeches or hold special programing. The event will also stream on the DNC website, YouTube, and the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.

Who will be there?

The event will feature a who’s-who of Democratic politicians.

An official schedule has not yet been released, but in addition to the President and First Lady, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is reportedly slated to speak Monday. Axios is reporting that the theme of the evening is “For the People.”

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama are expected to deliver addresses on Tuesday alongside Harris’ husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff, under the theme “A Bold Vision for America’s Future.”

Walz will accept the vice presidential nomination on Wednesday when he’ll be joined by former President Clinton and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, under the theme “A Fight for Our Freedoms.”

Harris will speak and accept the party nod on Thursday, simultaneously becoming the first Black woman and first Asian American to secure a major party presidential nomination is U.S. history. The theme that evening will be “For our Future.”

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson are also expected to address the convention.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey will be in attendance, and is scheduled to lead an LGBTQ+ caucus event on Monday.

The other team

Republicans held their own convention in Milwaukee last month, when Trump secured the party nomination for a third time running and announced U.S. Sen. JD Vance would join him on the ticket. That event, which on Sunday Trump’s campaign dubbed “the most unifying political event in history,” came not long after an apparent assassination attempt against the former president.

Whereas Trump “demonstrated tremendous strength and resolve following an attempt on his life,” according to Trump Campaign Senior Advisors Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, Harris will use the DNC to “hide behind celebrities because everyday families know that she has been an absolute disaster for our nation, and real Americans are worse off now than four years ago.”

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Trump’s campaign also announced a five day swing-state tour to coincide with the DNC.

Protests

In an eerie echo of the 1968 DNC that saw protestors violently suppressed by the police and Illinois National Guard, this year’s DNC is expected to include plenty of counter programming. Where before it was Vietnam, this time protestors are concerned over Harris’ apparent support of Israel as they continue a military campaign in Gaza. Thousands of protestors are expected, and Gov. Pritzker is warning them to be on their best behavior.

“We intend to protect the protesters’ First Amendment rights, and also the residents of the city of Chicago and the visitors to Chicago at the same time,” he told the Associated Press.