Bernie Sanders Rally Disrupted by Animal Rights Activists
Image by Getty Images
At least five animal rights activists on Monday rushed the stage as presidential candidate Bernie Sanders spoke at a rally in Oakland, video posted online showed.
The protesters were led away by several Secret Service agents before they were able to reach the Democrat, whose speech was briefly interrupted by the disturbance, a video posted by CNN showed.
A Secret Service agent rushed to Sanders’ side, grabbed him and wrapped his arms around the presidential candidate during the ruckus.
“We don’t get intimidated easily,” said Sanders, as he resumed his speech.
Animal rights group Direct Action Everywhere claimed responsibility for the protest, saying in a statement that it hoped to persuade Sanders to take a tough stance against factory farms.
“Bernie Sanders claims to support the ‘good’ farms,” activist Rachel Ziegler said in the statement. “But as our repeated investigations have shown, even the ‘good’ farms are horrific.”
The organization posted a video online showing at least five protesters being led away by security personnel after they climbed onto the stage.
Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont, is running far behind Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election.
In March, a man stormed the stage as the presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump spoke in Vandalia, Ohio before being held by several agents.
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
