Kamala Harris in campaign dash ahead of protest-shadowed convention

US Vice President Kamala Harris took her surging presidential campaign on a battleground bus tour Sunday, before heading to the Democratic National Convention for (DNC) a star turn that will be shadowed by protests against Israel's war in Gaza.

Riding a wave of enthusiasm after replacing President Joe Biden at the top of the ticket last month, Harris dashed to the swing state of Pennsylvania to push her case against Republican rival Donald Trump.

Later in the day, the 59-year-old will head to Chicago for a rapturous reception from Democrats, who have dared to hope again after an astonishing turnaround that has seen Harris wipe out Trump's lead in the polls. A Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos survey published Sunday showed Harris with a narrow lead over Trump among registered voters across the country.


Security has been ramped up for the Chicago convention, with tens of thousands of protesters expected to rally every day against the Biden-Harris administration's support for Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza. The demonstrations are expected to begin on Sunday and continue through Thursday.

"We are ready," Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson told ABC. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said the planned protests would be allowed as long as they remained peaceful. "If there are troublemakers, they are going to get arrested," he told CNN.