How did Bernie Sanders become a target for Black Lives Matter?

[cali]

When Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign rolled into South Carolina this weekend, wooing black voters was perhaps the top task on his to-do list.

<snip>

“We don’t know him,” is the refrain of black voters in South Carolina, a Washington Post report suggests.

To those who are familiar with his political career, however, Sanders would seem to be the last person in the presidential race who would need to justify his civil rights credentials. After all, which other candidate would allow two Black Lives Matter activists to hijack a campaign event in Seattle while he stood placidly by, chatting with his wife?

<snip>

But among some who know more about Sanders, the genuineness of his long record carries weight.

“If I asked a Republican candidate about Black Lives Matter, they wouldn’t care,” Justin Sewell, a black college student who attended Sanders’s rally in South Carolina, told the Post. “If I asked Hillary, she’d just say what’s convenient,”

“I believe [Sanders] really cares.”

http://news.yahoo.com/did-bernie-sanders-become-target-black-lives-matter-173555218.html

[elleng]

1. Coincidence?

The first 'event' occurred after the Iowa Dem's Dinner, in which all of the Dem candidates spoke (and incidentally Martin O'Malley did very well,) but immediately thereafter Netroots Nation occurred, O'Malley and Sanders were 'caught' in blm's first 'event,' and things have moved on since then.

'Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley was midsentence when the chanting began. “What side are you on black people, what side are you on!” rang the chorus of around four dozen mostly black protesters streaming into a convention hall in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday.'

http://time.com/3963692/bernie-sanders-martin-omalley-black-lives-matter/

Due to Bernie's popularity, his 'targetting' has continued.

[bvar22]

2. He could use the Hillary BLM strategy:

Refuse admission to the main venue, lock them in an "Overflow Room", and let them out after the main media leaves.

[jeff47]

3. No, that was handling them masterfully!!

I read it right here on DU. Over and over and over again. Mostly in posts in one group....

[bvar22]

7. #BLM seems perfctly happy with this kind of treatment from Hillary.

There is something happening here.....

[Luminous Animal]

13. Actually, Black Lives Matter was and is not happy with Hillary's response. They've been

interviewed many times and have said as such. An OP today and presumably the person who posted the OP said that their criticism of her response does not matter.

[demwing]

4. Because Bernis is the only candidate

that can actually DO something to further the goals of BLM.

The only candidate that draws the crowds, the only candidate that marched with MLK, and the only candidate that gives a damn.

It was a smart move for BLM to focus on Bernie and avoid Hillary. Why waste their time?

[mmonk]

5. How? It was a meme going back to his announcement in Vermont

and two rightwing journalists saying he wouldn't be able to reach minority voters (due to the demographics in Vermont that day). Before long, everybody started picking that theme up. Obviously calling him too liberal or socialist wasn't working.

[Vattel]

6. Through his actions Sanders has shown that he really cares. That means something

to people like Justin Sewell. If enough people in SC realize it in time, Sanders could win the primary there.

[eridani]

8. Don't think he is--he's just the most publicly accessible candidate

Naturally that makes him an easier target. The idea of going after all the candidates is fine--it just isn't doable.

[NuclearDem]

9. Bingo.

It's almost like it's hard to get past the Secret Service or something.

[Zorra]

10. The event that was disrupted in Seattle WAS. NOT. A. SANDERS. CAMPAIGN. EVENT!!!

One more time ~ The event that activists in Seattle shut down on August 8, 2015 was not a Bernie Sanders event. It was an even sponsored by SOCIAL SECURITY WORKS. Senator Sanders was invited to speak at the event by Social Security Works. The event the activists shut down was a rally sponsored by Social Security Works and was organized to help protect Social Security and Medicare.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251522109

[Luminous Animal]

14. Yep. I have posted this irrefutable fact so many times. He was merely one of many speakers

invited for an hours long event which involved more than a half a year of planning. His entire allotted time was taken up by the protestors and why he left the stage. The time allotted to him had expired.

And I am not sure the activists shut anything down. Bernie could have been the last speaker of the day and the protestors may have taken up his entire allotted time and when that was up, the organizers, as per the limitations of the time limitation their permit cut the mic.

[hay rick]

12. Considering that any other candidate would be a more appropriate target...

I do not believe the people pushing these attacks are being honest about their agenda. I also do not think they are recognized by a significant portion of the black community as speaking on their behalf. I expect the majority of #BLM sympathizers are more concerned with the wanton murder of black men than the current field of presidential candidates and might even think attacking the candidate with the best credentials on racial justice is counterproductive.

[Luminous Animal]

16. I suspect you are wrong. And Bernie, as he has done his entire career has stepped

up to the challenge.

The activists from Black Lives Matter are totally honest about their agenda and black human beings all across every demographic are reacting positively to the movement.

NEAR EVERY SINGLE BLACK PERSON IN THIS UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS SICK AND TIRED OF HAVING A TARGET ON THEIR BACK.

It has reached a critical mass.

My only critique is thus: As an ACTION activist with Queer Nation, Lesbian Avengers, Cop Watch Oakland, ACT UP, Food not Bombs, and Women's Action Coalition, the only mistake that Black Lives Matter made is not engaging with any of the candidates prior to taking any action because their is so much to be learned during a face to face meeting that can set the course for future action.

[eridani]

18. Don't forget Occupy n/t

[Luminous Animal]

21. Never.

[MisterP]

15. well, for OA: there's been far more cooperation with Sanders and no more noisy incidents

Last edited Mon Aug 24, 2015, 12:11 AM - Edit history (1)

for any campaign

[Luminous Animal]

17. Wait. What. Violent? That is a gross mischaracterization.

[MisterP]

19. they shoved a Senator, nu? screamed his face out (I can rewrite since it's not central to my point)

[Luminous Animal]

20. I 100% agree with you that shoving Bernie was disgusting and I consider it a violent act.

It really is a moment that plays over and over in my mind because it is deeply disturbing to me. But I am taking the lead from the campaign itself to let it go.

[MisterP]

23. that's actually a good point, because it's such a FINE point

it highlights the fine game this primary's requiring--between legitimate political self-defense and between "rising above"

[AgingAmerican]

22. Because he is catching Hillary

And we can't have that.

[scarletwoman]

24. They're not targeting Bernie, they're targeting his AUDIENCE.

Bernie draws crowds of white people. You're part of Black Lives Matter and you want to get a message across to all those white people who don't generally have to worry about being shot by cops when they're driving or walking down the street. So you go where the crowds are.

It's not about Bernie. It's about raising hell in an attempt to raise the consciousness of all those white people who are safely inside their bubble of white privilege - disrupt, disturb, and transgress in order to demonstrate the urgency you feel about your brothers and sisters being killed because of the color of their skin.

It's not about Bernie! It's about his audience! They are throwing out a challenge - are you going to care about what's happening to black people, or not?