Chaos Turns to Violence for Democrats

If Hillary Clinton thought her long battle with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) for the Democratic Party presidential nomination was over, the Nevada state convention on Saturday was likely a harsh wake-up call.

Sanders’ supporters haven’t given up the fight—quite literally. In a fashion that follows the mainstream media narrative of a Donald Trump rally, when a group of Sanders delegates were removed from the convention, chaos—and violence—ensued.

Upset that 64 of their fellow Sanders supporters were refused access to the convention on administrative grounds, the rest became disruptive. At one point, they booed U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), who was invited as the keynote speaker.

“If you’re booing me, you’re booing Bernie Sanders,” she said to those booing her speech. “Go ahead, boo yourselves out of this election.”

The real problems started when state chairwoman and Democratic National Committee executive committee member Roberta Lange refused to reconsider the delegates. While Sanders supporters were attempting to get their fellow delegates reinstated and a recount taken for the official delegates to the national convention, Lange immediately adjourned the meeting and fled.

The room quickly filled with hotel security and armed law enforcement from the Las Vegas Sheriff’s Department. And when efforts to get the Sanders supporters to leave failed, a few physical altercations took place.

Several Sanders supporters documented the happenings, both with live video on Facebook, as well as Periscope. Afterward, however, Nevada party officials claimed the delegates were not seated because they had not properly registered and/or refused to provide proper identification.

They resat six of the 64, once they provided proper identification information.

The state party officials also refuted claims by Sanders’ supporters that the meeting was conducted unfairly or illegally. The rules established by the state rules committee were followed, they said.

In the end, Hillary Clinton won 20 of the 35 pledged delegates available in Nevada. That was the projected total based on the precinct-level caucus results back in February. Clinton has also picked up the support of four of the state’s eight “superdelegates,” while three remain uncommitted at this time.

Although the final tally does little to change the delegate math going into Tuesday’s contests in Kentucky and Oregon, it does shed more light on the level of dissatisfaction many Democrats have with their likely presidential nominee.