Protesters Brave Philly Heat to Voice Anger With Clinton and DNC

ByMICHAEL EDISON HAYDEN ABCNews logo
Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Protests against the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton continued for a second straight day today through scorching temperatures on the streets of Philadelphia, as an atmosphere of division cast a shadow over the Democratic National Convention's opening night.

The protests stemmed from a number of different groups, including marijuana legalization activists, immigration rights activists, socialists, Green Party supporters, and Black Lives Matter activists, who were unified in their opposition to Clinton and the DNC.

The demonstrations, which have generally been larger than those that took place in Cleveland during the RNC, have followed in the wake of what has been a tumultuous week for Democrats.

Earlier today, an official confirmed that DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz would not be speaking at the convention. The news emerged one day after Wasserman Schultz announced she would resign from the post at the end of the convention, following the release of internal DNC emails by WikiLeaks.

The emails appeared to show that the party made efforts to impede Bernie Sanders' run for the nomination, a revelation that has stoked anger both on social media and on the streets of Philadelphia among his supporters and the progressive wing of the party.

Wasserman Schultz was booed and jeered at a pre-convention delegation breakfast this morning in Philadelphia, and Sanders was booed earlier this afternoon while speaking to delegates, after urging them to support Clinton.

Three protesters collapsed from heat exhaustion, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The hottest it felt this afternoon in Philadelphia was a whopping 107 degrees Fahrenheit, according to a calculation of the heat index by ABC News.

Some marchers carried banners that read "Hillary for Prison," and signs with pictures of Trump and Clinton that read "Either Way, Wall Street Wins." A group of protesters carried a giant float shaped like a joint, urging government to "end the racist drug war."

Protesters expressed anger and frustration about the management of the Democratic Party, and about the nomination of Clinton.

"A lot of people feel like their banging their heads against a wall," a protester wearing a Bernie sticker on his shirt told ABC News in reference to attempts to reform the Democratic Party. "Money corrupts politics."

"I understand the sentiment never Trump, but there are a lot of people here who are never Hillary," he added.

He called the alleged efforts of the DNC to stop Sanders "collusion" and "sad to see."

One woman told ABC News she would be voting for Sanders "regardless" of whether his name was on the ballot.

A man in a Bernie shirt told ABC News that he would be voting for Green Party candidate Jill Stein.

"That's too bad," he said, regarding Sanders' endorsement of Clinton.

The atmosphere of division was felt both inside and outside the Wells Fargo arena. During the invocation, hosted by interim chair Marcia Fudge, boos echoed through the hall, and chants of "Bernie" followed the mention of Clinton's name.

ABC News' Morgan Winsor and Charli James contributed to this report.

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