Ahead of the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in Philadelphia, protesters took to the streets hoping to have their voices heard by the candidates.

While many protests, both small and large, took place on Independence Mall near the National Constitution Center—the debate venue—demonstrations later converged at the center minutes before the debate began.

Among the protesting organizations were the Philly Palestine Coalition, Truth Pharm, Chester County Pro-Life Coalition, and PETA, bringing to the streets many issues like the Israel-Hamas war and abortion that would take center stage at the debate Tuesday night.

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters and allies marched at City Hall in the evening and later towards the National Constitution Center an hour before the debate. 

After the debate began, 100 Philadelphia police officers in riot gear attempted to disperse the pro-Palestinian crowd at Fourth and Market Streets, according to protest organizers. 

PPD confirmed that six individuals were detained and one faced charges for not dispersing.

At the corner of 12th and Market Streets, a Philly Palestine Coalition organizer spoke to the crowd. The organizer’s microphone was powered by multiple speakers lying in the bed of a truck that led demonstrators away from City Hall. 

“They want you to think that Kamala Harris is the lesser of two evils. She’s, in fact, not the lesser of two evils,” the speaker said.

“President, after president, after president paid for and endorsed … the genocide and occupation of Palestine,” the speaker added before telling demonstrators to not vote for either candidate in the election.

Volunteers from the group “No Ceasefire, No Vote Pennsylvania” also walked with demonstrators, holding up signs reading, “No Votes for Genocide.” The signs had a QR code, encouraging people to not vote for Harris unless a permanent ceasefire is achieved, or she commits to putting an arms embargo against Israel in place if elected.

Dounya, a protester and Philly resident who declined to share their last name due to safety concerns, said the media coverage of the debate was “unbelievable.”

“Both of them believe in murdering Palestinians,” Dounya said.

The debate could have been held anywhere else, Dounya added. “As a Philadelphia resident, I think it’s a waste of money,” she said.

Minutes before the debate began, the group reached Independence Mall and joined several smaller protests.

Alex Pleus, an organizer with Truth Pharm, a substance abuse advocacy non-profit, said that while concerns over Palestine are important, the attention reduces the care given to other issues like the opioid crisis.

“[Palestine is a] huge concern, [but] when you see the numbers, we’re losing double or triple that number of Americans every single year in the United States just to overdose,” Pleus said.

Her organization hosts the “Trial of Truth,” a series of demonstrations and live performance art meant to bring awareness to addiction and the opioid epidemic.

Several “Trial of Truth” demonstrators organized under a banner on Independence Mall behind a line of hand-painted and headstone-inspired lawn signs displaying the pictures of overdose victims.

Pleus, who lost her son 10 years ago to an overdose, said she has made substance use advocacy her life’s mission. To her, addressing the overdose epidemic is the number one issue in this year’s election.

“I’m really frustrated that our candidates are barely talking about the issue at all,” Pleus said.

Pleus, along with members of her organization, has attended major political events within the last year, including the June presidential debate and both party conventions. She said that in talking to thousands of people across the political spectrum, she has never found anyone who disagrees with her ideal policy, which would include a federally enforced standard of care to give immediate treatment access to people who experience substance abuse.

“There’s not a Republican or a Democrat voter that says, ‘Oh, that’s a terrible idea,’” Pleus said. 

And yet, she says, still no action has been taken.

“They have the funds, and yet they still are not implementing immediate access to treatment,” Pleus said. “I feel like it’s a throwaway population to them. It’s people that everyone has decided to just give up on.”

A few feet away was a group of pro-life protesters from the Chester County Pro-Life Coalition, who displayed large photographs of bloody aborted fetuses.

The group, which usually protests outside Planned Parenthood centers in rural areas of the state, traveled to Center City to demonstrate outside the presidential debate.

“[Kamala Harris] is all about trying to promote abortion,” said Dave Owsik, a member of the coalition. He said that Harris has made abortion this election’s number one issue by having no other strong policies to run on.

PETA, an animal rights group, was also present during the protests. The group brought a human-sized anthropomorphic mouse covered in blow to the Independence Mall

The mouse’s back was cut open with stitches and it held a sign that read “NIH Wasted $22 Billion on Animal Tests Last Year.”

“The National Institute of Health is sinking $22 billion of our taxpayer dollars into experiments where animals are burned, electroshocked, poisoned, addicted to drugs, infected with deadly diseases, and more horrific things,” said Amanda Brody, a PETA member from Florida. Brody added that these experiments have “never led to treatments or cures” for American citizens.

The group came to Philadelphia to urge the next president to end animal testing, Brody said.

Protesters cleared the streets at around 10 p.m. when the debate entered its final 30 minutes.