Democratic National Convention
Sanders delegate compares DNC walkout to the March on Washington
A group of Bernie Sanders supporters who felt their voices weren't being heard at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday decided to walk out, a move one organizer compared to the 250,000-person strong 1963 political rally that culminated in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech.
"The March on Washington was an example of a movement at a high point, and I'd say this is one of those," Shyla Nelson, a Sanders delegate from Vermont, told BuzzFeed News. Nelson said the supporters decided to leave the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia during the middle of roll call, as it became increasingly clear that Sanders did not have enough votes to win the Democratic nomination. The delegates chanted "Walk out!" and "This is what democracy looks like!" as they made their way off the floor, with some starting a sit-in in the media area and others putting tape over their mouths.
When asked by BuzzFeed News what the goal of the walkout was, Nelson couldn't say, but did explain that the protesters "don't think the voices of the grassroots, everyday Americans have been heard in this election."