‘Black Lives Matter’ Activists Disrupt Presidential Forum

Several dozen activists burst into the Phoenix Convention Center meeting hall as former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley was 20 minutes into a planned 40-minute moderated discussion.

“What side are you on my people?” they sang in unison as they approached. “As the leader of this nation, will you advance a racial justice agenda that will dismantle – not reform, not make progress – but will begin to dismantle structural racism in the United States?”

The crowd was whipped into a frenzy to the point where Bernie Sanders, up next on the agenda, was also essentially driven from the stage and he didn’t even get to say anything “controversial” along those lines. O’Malley stood by quietly.

Appearing on the Internet based “This Week In Blackness”, or TWiB Nation, host L. Joy Williams excoriated O’Malley for his insensitivity for including “white lives” and “all lives” in his statement. “If I die in police in custody!” one of the chants went, “Burn everything down!”

Conference organizers begged them to allow O’Malley respond.

“I recognize the pain and grief throughout country, to all the lives lost to violence”, O’Malley said, to tepid applause, before expounding on the efforts he made when he was mayor of Baltimore to end an epidemic of violence and drug abuse. “I don’t want to out-scream people”. Sanders has risen in polls in recent months and sought to broaden his appeal to minorities and a more diverse section of the Democratic electorate, addressing immigration and criminal justice.

“That was a mistake on my part and I meant no disrespect”, O’Malley told the outlet. “I did not mean to be insensitive in any way”.

“It’s not like we like shutting s**t down, but we have to”, Black Lives Matter founder Patriss Cullors said.

“We’re doing what we’ve been doing for the past 10 months, especially standing up for black life, but today with a real focus on black women – Sandra Bland, and saying her name”, said Yates.

Sanders left the stage, abbreviating his appearance significantly. The candidate, a favorite of Netroots Nation, threatened to leave if they continued to interrupt him. He said: “Every life matters and that is why this issue is important”. “I have spent 50 years of my life fighting for civil rights”. Cullors asked O’Malley. “I want to hear concrete actions”.

Sanders proceeded to deliver his usual presidential stump speech over sporadic shouting from below.

Sanders tried to continue speaking, but Vargas eventually ended the panel early.

“We hear you”, Netroots board member Cheryl Contee said from the stage.

Sanders called the criminal justice system “out of control” and described high rates of unemployment and incarceration for young black Americans.

When Sanders cited the Affordable Care Act as a law he supported that helped people of color by making health insurance more accessible, one man shouted, “we can’t afford that!”

The spectacle was a far cry from what was expected of the forum.

Sanders and O’Malley are vying to become the Democratic alternative to front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, who was campaigning in Iowa and Arkansas on Saturday and did not attend Netroots.

The protesters held a victory rally of sorts afterward.

Buzzfeed reports that two progressive groups involved in the convention have issued statements backing the protesters’ actions as well.