Sanders campaign asks supporters to not disrupt Clinton DNC speech ‘as a courtesy to Bernie’

A supporter of Bernie Sanders holds up a sign during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP)
A supporter of Bernie Sanders holds up a sign during the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP)

PHILADELPHIA — The presidential campaign of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders made an appeal to its supporters on Thursday, urging them not to disrupt Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s Democratic National Convention speech. Sanders’ campaign sent a pair of text messages to its delegates at 8:40 p.m. asking them to “respect” Clinton’s speech, which is set to take place within the next few hours.

“On Monday, when Bernie gave his speech to the Democratic convention, Secretary Clinton’s campaign asked her supporters to be respectful, and they were,” the messages said. “As a courtesy to Bernie, our campaign would greatly appreciate it if you would extend the same respect during Secretary Clinton’s speech.”

(Photo: Yahoo News)
(Photo: Yahoo News)

The request came amid rumors that some Sanders supporters are planning to stage a walkout or other disruption during Clinton’s speech at the close of the convention. Clinton delegate Zachary Wahls tweeted that Sanders delegates wearing neon shirts were planning to walk out on the speech. The shirts, emblazoned with the slogan “Enough Is Enough,” glow in the dark.

Author and analyst Jonathan Alter said he was told that the neon-clad delegates were not planning a walkout. Yahoo News asked one of the glow-in-the-dark delegates their plans, but the person was coy.

“We’ll just have to see,” the delegate said.

In addition to a potential walkout, the group DNC Action Committee reportedly sent out a press release that said they planned to “present Hillary Rodham Clinton with a citizens arrest” when she speaks for “being an accessory to the mass election fraud that took place during the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.”

Sanders supporters have staged multiple protests during the DNC. Many of them believe the results of the contentious Democratic primary were illegitimate and that the Democratic National Committee was biased in favor of Clinton. These fears among the Sanders faithful were fueled by hacked emails that were released by Wikileaks on Saturday, which confirmed that party staffers had discussed undermining Sanders’ campaign.

This is the second time the Sanders campaign attempted to prevent protests at the convention. Sanders endorsed Clinton on July 12 and made an impassioned speech on her behalf at the DNC. On Monday night, the first evening of the convention, Sanders sent a text to his delegate whips asking them to not to disrupt the proceedings.

“I ask you as a personal courtesy to me to not engage in any kind of protest on the floor,” he wrote. “Its of utmost importance you explain this to your delegations.”
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