Bernie Sanders encourages and urges people to protest Hillary Clinton events (Maddow interview)

[ProudToBeLiberal]

Wow. On Rachel Maddow tonight, if you were watching you saw it, Rachel gave Bernie a chance to discourage his supporters from protesting outside Clinton events and he declined. Instead, he said, “That is absolutely appropriate, why not?” Not even the Republicans did this until the end of their divisive campaign when Trump supporters started showing up at Cruz events and vice versa. With no chance of winning the nomination this is what he wants? Shouting at each other in the streets?

MADDOW: If they’re not disrupting inside, do you want your supporters protesting outside Hillary Clinton events?

SANDERS: I don’t mind. If that’s, we have nothing to do with that, that’s what people, we have millions of supporters and people all over the country doing their thing, if people want to protest outside, absolutely that’s their right to do that.

MADDOW: But you’re not encouraging it or discouraging it?

SANDERS: We’re not encouraging people to disrupt meetings, that we certainly are not doing. That I’m not a great fan of.

MADDOW: Let me just be clear though. In terms of people turning up and protesting outside and not disrupting?

SANDERS: Absolutely, if they want to do that, that is absolutely appropriate, why not? That is what freedom of speech is about, what freedom of dissent is about. People standing outside by the hundreds, by the thousands, saying look we disagree, I think that’s absolutely appropriate.

Video can be found here http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/5/6/1524084/-Sanders-Protesting-Clinton-events-Absolutely-appropriate

[bobbobbins01]

1. Is that a problem? Are you against civil protest?

I thought you were proud to be a liberal. Jesus.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

3. Not even in the most intense part of the 2008 primary did you see Barack or Hillary urge people

to protest each others events. Bernie is going on another level.

[Beacool]

5. That's because they were both Democrats and respected each other.

I have yet to hear of a group of people showing up at one of sander's rallies, yelling obscenities and acting like Trump supporters.

[AgingAmerican]

117. Hispanic groups don't protest Sanders policies

They protest Hillarys

[bobbobbins01]

8. So you're against civil protest?

Is that what you're saying? Do you think its OK to protest Trump events?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

12. It hasn't happened in a Democratic primary in the last 20 years.

Give me link where a candidate urged its supporters to protest another opponents campaign event in a presidential democratic primary.

[bobbobbins01]

15. So you're against civil protest?

Precedence doesn't matter. What matters is if protest is acceptable to you.

[ProudToBeLiberal]

20. So, you couldn't provide another example. That's what I thought.

Thanks for proving my point.

[bobbobbins01]

21. So you're against civil protest?

Wow. There is a word for that, and liberal isn't it.

[tonedevil]

37. Fascists...

are naturally against any disobedience.

[bobbobbins01]

64. The irony is incredible.

I can only assume the OP is paid, because otherwise, the cognitive dissonance it would take to spew this kind of nonsense would make my head explode. And notice how they disappeared without answering my question. There is also a word for someone who runs away like that.

[ucrdem]

41. This is NOT civil protest

It's uncivil harassment and it's wildly inappropriate:

[bobbobbins01]

45. Of course that is civil protest.

Is this appropriate:

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/QmlR_KD.YiVfCDn6P.tTNg--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAwO2lsPXBsYW5l/

Or this:



How about this:



Or is that too uncivil as well?

[ucrdem]

50. These stock photos appear civil but what happened at ELAC was not civil.

Voters attempting to inform themselves were interfered with. That's a violation of the spirit if not the letter of the Voting Rights Act.

[bobbobbins01]

54. So is it OK to protest Trump?

Or is that off limits as well?

[ucrdem]

63. The phrase you keep repeating is "civil protest" which is descriptive

and has no legal meaning that I'm aware of. The right to assemble is guaranteed by the Constitution, and the right to protest is usually considered under that rubric, but the statutes governing protest and assembly are local. But the point is that harassing disabled women attempting to learn about a candidate is uncivil by any definition.

[bobbobbins01]

71. The leader of the Khmer Rouge was missing a leg.

Is he off limits by your definition of what is the correct way to protest?

[Tiggeroshii]

84. And they risk hurting our movement. Constitutional or not.They are being jerks representing a major

Presidential candidate.

[ucrdem]

91. Yes, protest is fine, but harassing attendees is counterproductive and anti-democratic.

And it helps Trump by depressing voter participation.

[JDPriestly]

97. The protest at that speech took place in a free speech zone on a California campus.

It was legal and appropriate. The First Amendment protects the rights of the protestors outside the speech itself. The protestors in the speech were ushered out. I don't know whether they were arrested.

Hillary is known for failing to tolerate protests around her.

At least since Berkeley in the 1960s, protests in free speech areas on college campuses are a tradition in California. Freedom to assemble and exercise free speech are guaranteed in our First Amendment. They are among our most basic and valued rights.

I personally am not one to protest, but I will stand up for the rights of others to protest. Personally I have better things to do. But I respect others who protest. They have the right to scream as long as they don't assault anyone. And assault includes unwanted touching as I am using the term. No throwing objects, etc.

[JDPriestly]

96. If you watch the video of the protest, you realize that the protestors were above on

a different area than the Hillary supporters.

The protestors outside the speech were in a protected free speech area.

We still have a First Amendment, and it still guarantees the rights of assembly and of freedom of speech.

[emsimon33]

98. You may be too young to remember the 60s and 70s but this is civil protest

Sometimes all that people have left is to protest. I have heard too many life-long Democrats say that they feel that the Party is no longer interested in their issues, that it is now the Party of the wealthy, Wall Street, and huge corporations. They are frustrated and when people are frustrated and they feel that they have no other avenue to be heard, they protest.

We all better get used to it because the issues that most impact most Americans the common person feels are being marginalized to accommodate the elite, Wall Street, etc. I saw this in the 60s with civil rights and in the 60s and 70s with the Vietnam War.

When you take all hope away from people, when they have nothing else to lose...well, read about the French Revolution.

[ucrdem]

102. Okay but there's a difference: the civil rights protesters targeted policies, not fellow students.

Protesting against Hillary is one thing, and she's a prime target so she's basically used to it, but harassing attendees at an event is something else altogether. If it was only overenthusiasm, that would be understandable, but this looks something more sinister. I hope I'm wrong about that part at least but where Hillary goes the VRWC follows.

[emsimon33]

115. Hillary represents the neo-liberalism and corporatism that has befallen the Party

Hence, I think that that might be what the protestors are objecting to. I could be wrong. Just saying.

[John Poet]

69. He didn't "urge" them to do anything. Misleading.

Give me a link where THIS candidate "urges" his supporters to protest Clinton. As so typical of Hillary supporters, you are completely twisting and mischaracterizing what he did say.

AND... you seem to have a problem with people exercising their First Amendment rights to protest--- no?

[silvershadow]

116. They don't even know what this country is about. Clueless. nt

[JDPriestly]

95. The DNC has not attempted to take the side of one candidate against another candidate

in the way it has in this election in the past 20 years either.

Americans have the right to free speech. I agree with Bernie. Protesting inside the auditorium in which Hillary was speaking was in my view inappropriate.

But the protest that took place in an area designated for free speech is protected under our First Amendment. No one should complain about that even if it was rude or unpleasant. It's the exercise of the constitutional right to free speech.

[emsimon33]

99. However, if the protests go on, I bet the DNC, etc. will do what Bush did...

have a designated place for protesters that is some distance from where he was going to be...out of sight...out of mind.

Nothing to see here. Just move along and enjoy your bread and circuses.

[JDPriestly]

101. The protestors outside WERE in a designated free speech area.

That is what you discover if you watch the video on the protest event.

They were even on a raised area of the overall area in which the Hillary supporters were waiting in line.

The Hillary supporters were walking on a sidewalk below the area of the free speech area in which the protestors were located.

California campuses have free speech areas. That is where we go when we register voters on college campuses. Done it many times. There was nothing wrong with the protest. The protestors inside were inappropriate and were removed. Bernie says that he has no problem with protestors outside events but does not condone protestors inside events.

Remember. The First Amendment guarantees our right to freedom of assembly and freedom of speech. College campus free speech areas are public areas in which protests and the exercise of free speech are appropriate.

Nothing inappropriate happened outside the building in which Hillary's speech was held.

[emsimon33]

119. I agree

And the protesters may be Trump supporters. Inside, no; outside, OK. However, I was living in Portland, OR, when Bush came to visit once and the "free speech area" was so far removed that it was invisible. It seems that at certain times in our history as a country, while freedom of speech is "protected" by the Constitution, it is viewed as "better not to be seen or heard."

[silvershadow]

118. Oh they act like this is horrific. I'd hate to think how some of them would act if they ever

had to stand up during a Union action...holy crap. What a bunch of weenies. Yep, the DNC was in collusion with HRC campaign during Debbie-gate. I think we called of the heat in an agreement when they admitted Bernie had nothing to do with it.

[Ash_F]

79. I don't think anyone knew just how much bombing they were going to get up to in 2008

[JDPriestly]

93. California campuses have free speech areas. The protest against Hillary took place

in a free speech area.

I don't know but these areas may be the legacy of the Free Speech movement of the 1960s.

Bernie is right. The First Amendment gives Americans the right to free speech and to freedom of assembly. Americans are not violating any law or moral precept when they exercise those rights.

Hillary is surely aware of the rights of freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.

Those are rights that the Hillary protestors were exercising. They were loud but peaceful, and that is their right.

As a Bernie supporter, I think we have better things to do with our time in California right now, but there is nothing wrong with people protesting especially if they have permits or are protesting in free speech areas.

Hillary's campaign is very controversial. She is quite unpopular with lots of people. It is the reality.

[synergie]

77. Yelling and screaming abuse and obscenties at families with children is not civil protest.

If one was a liberal, one would not be defending this type of behavior. It's no different from the Trump protesters, except they were not making little children cry or screaming at little old ladies through megaphones and harassing disabled women in wheelchairs.

That you don't see a problem with this type of violent and harassing behavior speaks volumes.

[bobbobbins01]

86. So protests should stop the second a child or disabled person appears?

That would pretty much mean the end of all protesting.

[JDPriestly]

94. It is the exercise of free speech. It may not be wise, but it is freedom of speech, a very

fundamental American value.

I recall that Bill Clinton was using a megaphone in Massachusetts.

[coyote]

2. Why do you hate free speech?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

4. Not even Howard Dean told his supporters to protest John Kerry's events

Give me a link where Barack, Hillary or any other Democratic candidate in the last 20 years urged their supporters to protest and disrupt another campaign's event in the Democratic primary.

[Live and Learn]

16. Bernie doesn't tell us what to do. Protest has always been an American right and has been used

throughout America's relatively, short history.

Suddenly, you have problems with protestors? Do you also disapprove of Democracy in general? i have seen some here that really do seem to think that only certain people are worthy of voting. Are you one of those, too?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

18. Bernie just condoned and urged his supporters to protest Hillary Clinton events.

Check out the interview. The video is in the link.

[Live and Learn]

22. I don't see any urging. Maybe you need some new glasses.

It is all irrelevant anyway. Of course, protesting what you don't like should be encouraged. That is how it is done in democracies which you apparently don't like.

[bobbobbins01]

25. Are you against civil protest?

I'd like an answer.

[synergie]

78. Why do you think yelling obscenities at little children and making them cry is "free speech"?

[Puglover]

107. ...

Give me break.

[Live and Learn]

6. Bernie encourages people to stand up for what is right. And you have a problem with that?

How very elitist of you.

[synergie]

82. And yelling swear words at little kids through a megaphone and making them cry, and

ripping apart little girl's signs is "what's right" according to you guys? Yes, most rational people do have a problem with violent people hurling abuse at families peacefully attending rallies, how very Trump-like to think that such behavior is "what's right".

[Live and Learn]

83. THINK OF THE CHILDREN! Don't want your kids to hear the truth, keep them home! nt

[frylock]

7. You gonna ride on them with your honor guard?

[ProudToBeLiberal]

14. I am glad to see you fixed your spelling mistake. nt

[frylock]

19. Yes, that was unfortunate.

I actually laughed out loud here on the trolley.

[jillan]

9. Would you like me to send you a copy of the US Constitution?

[Tiggeroshii]

10. There's a certain level of civility required to maintain

legitimacy of a person's campaign and their supporters in the eyes of the public and other supporters. Telling somebody "shutup, pinche guera!" and making children cry isn't my idea of representing your brand with pride and dignity.

On edit: "guera" was what the protester said. Not "guerra"

[Prism]

31. Forget it man, they're rolling

Totally unrelated, but fun fact. I speak and understand Spanish very well, and I realized today just how close Tagalog is to Spanish. A Filipino friend was on the phone with his aunt, and I was like, "Wait a minute! I'm following this conversation!"

Anyway. It's kind of a blast to watch Clinton supporters who have spent the past month name-dropping every instance of Latino support in existence suddenly freak when "those people" get a touch out of line.

White privileged folks like their minorities predictable and behaved.

"You're supposed to be our mascots!!!!"

Oh goodness.

[Prism]

49. It was hilarious

The conversation started with, "Como estas? Que tal?!" And I was like, wait a minute . . .

I don't know why I was surprised. I was at a Filipino funeral two years ago and followed along just fine. But it always surprises me.

And you're a terrible mascot! Why aren't you in The Group?!

You know, the group that hounded gay people to hell and back and now want you to care a super, super lot for people who are underprivileged and stuff.

This is how stupid this has gotten. There is a poster who has spent the better part of the last week running around about how sexist Sanders is based on calling someone a b--ch 50 years ago. When I noted Clinton used homophobic verbiage less than a decade ago, I got, "Nuh uh! It's not! Cause I said!"

I mean, the hilarious lack of self-awareness there.

These people do not care about minority issues. At all. They just want useful bludgeons.

[Prism]

75. Let me tell you a story. It's lovely.

So in 2009-2010, LGBT were pretty peeved at Obama. You had the Rick Warren inauguration fiasco, sure, but then the DoJ started filing DOMA defenses. Gay people were pissed. And we said so at great volume and length.

Well, you know the Establishment types. They defended every square inch of it and attacked LGBT DUers like crazy. The admins banned about a dozen of us for being too rowdy.

But, there was this one guy. PoliticalTiger. He kind of heavily intimated he was an LGBTer of color.

You'll never ever guess who's opinion counted. You had very nearly every LGBTer on this website flipping their shit, but this one guy is who they all latched onto as the "true voice of the LGBT community". (The Group Who Will Not Have You was massively prominent in these attacks, which is why I loathe that lot to this day).

But then, it turns out, this guy had a sockpuppet account. He got confused one night, replying to himself, not remembering his storyline. Turns out, Political Tiger was just some straight white guy in Florida.

The guy the AA forum trumpeted while declaring every other LGBTer racist. The guy the Establishment Dems always recced.

Just some dopey straight white loser in the South.

It was hilarious. And of course, they immediately forgave him. Just a misunderstanding!

At the end of the day, the message was clear - minority voices only ever count if they toe the line.

That's how a lot of DU rolls.

I'll never understand this thinking. "X Group isn't a monolith!" but if someone of said group doesn't share a monolithic opinion, they're immediately attacked, shamed, and run off.

So predictable, pointless, but kind of fun in the irony and lack of any awareness.

You're just one in a long line of minority voices who "don't count" just because.

People are always like, "Democrats are smart! Republicans are so stupid!"

Then I read here and go, "Well . . ."

[Puglover]

109. A great bit of DU history.

One of the reasons I will never take the folks that were involved seriously. Ever.

Thanks Prism.

[QC]

114. That was truly a great moment in DU history.

A real classic.

[LuvLoogie]

36. No the guy in the video was saying " Fuck you, guera!" not "guerra"

"Guera" is a completely different word. You should look it up.

[Tiggeroshii]

60. They were shouting it at my wife. They said "fuck you,'' before saying "pinche guera"

And to avoid any confusion of who I support and accusations of trolling, here you go:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511900683

[bobbobbins01]

11. I encourage Hillary supporters to protest Bernie as well.

If they have issue with his policies, they should be out there standing up for what they believe in.

[Prism]

13. Sanders supports the First Amendment and Clinton supporters think it's a scandal?

LOL.

Okedoke then.

You keep doing you.

[840high]

90. .+1

[amborin]

23. why do you hate democracy?

[amborin]

26. echoes of Uribe's Colombia (which HRC upheld): silence those protestin union workers: murder them

[still_one]

27. This is why Mr. Sanders, you are NOT qualified to be President, and why I will NEVER vote for you

[bobbobbins01]

30. Because you're against protesting?

Is that what you're saying?

[still_one]

32. They were disrupting the speech. If it was just protesting I have no problem with it

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/hordes-of-sanders-supporters-shut-down-clinton-event-in-la-shes-not-with-us/

[bobbobbins01]

33. The speech was indoors...there was no disruption.

Just protesting outside.

[still_one]

34. That isn't what RawStory says

https://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/hordes-of-sanders-supporters-shut-down-clinton-event-in-la-shes-not-with-us/

"The Democratic presidential frontrunner was repeatedly interrupted Thursday as she spoke to a largely Latino crowd in Monterey Park, where Union del Barrio organized a protest against Clinton over her immigration policies and opposition to a national $15 hourly minimum wage, reported KNBC-TV."

[bobbobbins01]

35. It doesn't say that at all.

She cut her speech short, yes, but many other people spoke before her, and no one had any issues.

[still_one]

38. Here is a short expert where she was talking to her supporters, and they interrupted

[bobbobbins01]

39. That was from March.

good try.

[still_one]

51. You are correct. The disruption occurred when she went to speak to the crowd outside

[still_one]

56. Its what it is

[bobbobbins01]

57. So when she's out in public it still isn't OK to protest?

Should they be put in a free speech zone?

[still_one]

72. I already acknowledged that, and admitted my error

[still_one]

48. That is what the responder told me. I am not going to self-delete, so the continuity remains, in

spite of it being my linked error.

The disruption appears when she went outside to speak to the crowd:

[Tiggeroshii]

66. It isn't caused by Bernie. It is caused by the discourse this country has been at. Just visceral

incoherence dominating the tone.

[Tiggeroshii]

80. They made an elderly woman break down into tears. And the kid -as you see.

My wife is still a bit shaken from it. I get the anger, but that wasn't necessary. It certainly affects my morale as a voter negatively.

[larkrake]

28. people have been apathetic sheep too long- they need to protest blatant corruption

As long as it is done outside the hall. I agree with Bernie, inside is off limits. Your headline is an exaggeration of what he said. He said protesting is ok if you want to.

[GulfCoast66]

29. What a surprise

Let a democratic socialist candidate join the party at the last minute and when he is getting his ass kicked he does not discourage his young supports to go all Trump on a long time Democratic Party stalwart. Does anyone here think that had Bernie been able to actually win that Clinton supporters would be behaving like this? They would have done what they did in 2008, and support the Democratic candidate. But of course, they don't belong to a cult of personality.

[lancer78]

52. Bernie supporters

and the Tea-baggers are sometimes two different sides of the same coin. Their politics are fueled by emotion and not logical thinking.

[Autumn]

40. Is that supposed to be a bad thing?

[ucrdem]

42. Harassing disabled citizens attempting to exercise their franchise is bad, yes.

Way bad.

[Autumn]

61. Oh the horror of a protest, I see no one harassing that woman in the wheelchair.

Protests get loud, ever been to one? Notice the bullhorn? Do you need a couch? Smelling salts? I'll wait for you to edit your post and find am actual picture of a disabled citizen being harassed by a protester. No one is harassing that woman. and it looks like everyone is having a good time.

[lancer78]

46. "We're not encouraging people to disrupt meetings"

And yet in your title you say that Sanders is encouraging them to protest? Can you even read the transcript? If I felt that a coronation was unjust/wrong, I would protest as well. However, besides the MSM skewing the early race by showing HRC's super delegate total, I believe that this primary was held in a fair manner.

[msongs]

47. sanders is running interference for donald trump these days?

[MFM008]

53. This is no longer about YOU

now its all about HIM.

[JPnoodleman]

59. Considering Hillary/Kissingers desire to get a lot of us killed...

in foreign wars, I am happy to see protests abound.

[underthematrix]

62. This is such a bizarre statement. It's based on feelings rather than information

but this is what the media and others want you to do because if you were thinking critically you would not watch them 24/7 and not be so easily manipulated.

[JPnoodleman]

68. Don't own a TV actually, so I don't watch any news stations. n/t

[underthematrix]

73. This is good news. i would spend more time reading history books, especially

about former presidents. It really helps you contextualize what we're seeing right now.

[JPnoodleman]

74. I am working on an advance degree in History.

Though I am focused on British History.

[underthematrix]

76. That's so cool. I love love history. i wish you the best.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

65. Tsk. Tsk. Poor Hillary has to meet the constitution.

[Live and Learn]

81. How dare anyone protest the Clinton policies that are killing them. SUPER-PREDATORS, all of them. n

[nolawarlock]

87. I'm not a Sanders fan,

But I do not disagree with him here. If people want to protest, it's their right.

[Kip Humphrey]

88. I bet he put alot of authoritarians in a tizzy! Go Bernie!

[AzDar]

92. And?

[silvershadow]

100. Glad to see him defending our rights, even if I don't plan to protest. nt

[jmousso75]

103. Bernie Sanders encourages and urges people to protest Hillary Clinton events (Maddow interview)

Like it or not, it's called freedom of speech.........

I bet if Hillary supporters were protesting Sanders rallies it would be ok.. Grow up. I'm sure you heard swear words before.

[DrDan]

104. "absolutely appropriate" - so he approves and is encouraging the profanity-laden

"protesting" from his bullying supporters.

Good to know. His true character is beginning to emerge . . .

[pampango]

105. We will have to keep the pro-Trump and the pro-Bernie protesters separated

at Hillary campaign events. Neither like Hillary but they don't like each other even more.

[Duckhunter935]

106. Are you against free speach rights?

I guess you are also for those free speach pens, right?

[Lizzie Poppet]

108. "encourage"

[Tarc]

110. Well, free speech is free speech. As long as they are outside the venue and non-violent

and I have no reason to think they would be violent, we're not talking about Trump thugs here, I think Dems in general are league more civilized.

It's slightly silly at this point, as he has essentially lost the nomination, but that's their right.

[freedom fighter jh]

111. I can't find the part about "urging."

Bernie said it's their right, it's appropriate, he doesn't mind -- but but I don't see anything about pushing people to do it.

[NorthCarolina]

112. It's called FREEDOM OF SPEECH. Get over it, or remove the clause from the Constitution. nt

[Dem2]

113. I have no issue with what he said

It's true that if if people want to exercise their right to free speech, then let them have at it. If people don't care for that, then those are the consequences, but I have no issue with people doing that.

[Stuckinthebush]

120. Not surprising

He's getting kind of nasty.