How Bernie Sanders supporters shut down a Donald Trump rally in Chicago

[Lodestar]

Source: MSNBC

When Ja’Mal Green, a prominent black activist and Bernie Sanders supporter in Chicago, saw that Donald Trump was coming to the University of Illinois Chicago, he knew what he had to do. “Everyone, get your tickets to this. We’re all going in!!!! ‪#?SHUTITDOWN‬,” he posted on Facebook last week.

Little did he know they actually would shut it down.
Friday night, hundreds of protesters invaded Trump’s rally while thousands more marched outside, leading the candidate to abruptly cancel the event due to safety concerns. The night spun out from there, as angry Trump fans clashed with protesters, who saw the shutdown as a victory.

Protesters interrupt virtually every Trump speech. But what made Chicago different were its scale and the organization behind the effort. Hundreds of young, largely black and brown people poured in from across the city, taking over whole sections of the arena and bracing for trouble.
And as the repeated chants of “Ber-nie” demonstrated, it was largely organized by supporters of Bernie Sanders, the Democratic presidential candidate who has struggled to win over black voters, but whose revolutionary streak has excited radicals of all colors.

“Remember the #TrumpRally wasn’t just luck. It took organizers from dozens of organizations and thousands of people to pull off. Great work,” tweeted People for Bernie, a large unofficial pro-Sanders organization founded by veterans of the Occupy movement and other lefty activists.



Read more: http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/how-bernie-sanders-supporters-shut-down-donald-trump-rally-chicago

[Nitram]

1. Right. And Bernie supporters invented the airplane and the internet.

People of color are rising to the challenge presented by Trump and demonstrating against him and his supporters in the face of almost certain violence. Let's respect that and not try to use not for the political advantage of one Democratic candidate against the other. Please.

[LiberalElite]

2. Well, they did chant BERNIE BERNIE

and not HILARY HILLARY. Just sayin'.

[Lodestar]

3. True. However I think the chanting of "Bernie" during this protest is

what has led to the impression it was also politically motivated by those in Bernie's camp.
I wish they HAD left out Bernie's name and just made it about Trump's incompetence for
the position of president...or member of the human race.

[leftofcool]

5. I also saw a couple of people wearing Bernie T shirts as well as several Bernie signs

There were also several Bernie signs at the KC Trump rally. Pretty hard to not get the impression that the protests are motivated by the Bernie Camp when the cameras are focused on the signs and Tshirts instead of the message. Typical media.

[Cavallo]

10. I have no doubt Hillary fans came too.

I'm glad for everyone who came.

[ellenrr]

13. absolutely right. The U of Illinois at chicago is known for strong

and effective organizing by and for African-Americans and immigrants.
These are the people who organized the rally.
some of them may be bernie supporters.

to say the rally was "organized by bernie sanders supporters" is not only inaccurate but insulting.

and as Nitram says these are the people who are most vulnerable to the violence that will be dished out not only by trumpists but by cops.
so give them the credit they deserve.

[Gregorian]

4. Hey, the framing of these stories is getting friendlier to Bernie's campaign.

That was enjoyable. I got a laugh from the chanting. The cops were even nice.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

6. Folks, Bernie supporters are not Bernie. He did not send robot instructions via apps. . nt

[Cavallo]

9. I would have went had I known and was around that state. Send me one for WA state and I'm on it!

[Festivito]

7. "angry Trump fans clashed" with all color lefty organized excited radical persons chanting "Ber-nie"

who struggles and has a revolutionary streak

[Cavallo]

8. I woult have LOVED to have been there. I'm in another state. Thank you everyone who went!

[Trust Buster]

11. It was a foolish, emotional and nearsighted strategy IMO.

I've been waiting for this moment for two decades. For a Republican candidate to discard the yoke of dog whistling and be the political equivalent of Limbaugh. I want this nation and the world to see clearly for once just exactly what the Republican Party has always been about. I want Trump to be their nominee.

Think of it as two boxers in a ring. Trump has been swinging wildly as the opposition boxer (Democrats) stay just outside his reach. That's the way I wish for it to stay. What the Bernie folks did the other night was the equivalent of the opposition boxer getting too close to Trump. Trump was able to drape himself over his competitor until the end of round bell rang. The Bernie folks point to Trump's mention of Sanders as evidence that he sees Bernie as more of a threat. Those that say that don't know Trump. Trump was looking for someone to hold onto and deflect the blame. Sure enough, the media played their "both sides are guilty" games by pointing at the Sanders supporters. Just what Trump had hoped for.

STAY JUST OUTSIDE THE REACH OF TRUMP. Let him wildly swing away. Let this nation and the world finally see all the ugliness that IS the Republican Party. I've been waiting for this moment for two decades. DON'T ALLOW THIS FOOL TO WRAP HIMSELF AROUND US UNTIL THE BELL SOUNDS.

[Ruby the Liberal]

12. I wish they wouldn't do this

It plays right into Drumpf's wheelhouse. We are above this and need to get the message out to the American people that this is a serious endeavor, not the left-wing version of Drumpf.

Now get off my lawn!