The Democratic National Convention gets underway Monday in Philadelphia with much bigger demonstrations than the Republican convention and much higher temperatures as the region copes with an oppressive heat wave.
In one of the largest rallies planned for the day, a pro-Bernie Sanders group is expected to walk across the Ben Franklin Bridge, which connects Camden, New Jersey, with Philadelphia.
The demonstrations, largely driven by Sanders supporters, have been peaceful so far.
On Sunday, throngs of people marched along a main thoroughfare of the city to show their support for Sanders and their disdain for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.
They chanted “Hell no, DNC, we won’t vote for Hillary” and “This is what democracy looks like.”
Although planned for months, the marches came as fractures appeared in the party that had been trying to display a show of unity in recent weeks. Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned Sunday as Democratic Party chairwoman over emails suggesting the DNC had played favorites for Clinton during the primary.
The Democrats had been trying to avoid the divide that was apparent in Cleveland during the Republican National Convention last week. But the hacked emails, published by WikiLeaks, further fired up Sanders supporters, who long accused the party of favoring Clinton despite officially being neutral.
Sanders had called for Wasserman Schultz’s resignation and said Sunday that she made the right decision for the party’s future by resigning.
Darcy Samek, 54, traveled alone from Minneapolis to protest through the four-day convention. She said Wasserman Schultz has been a “miserable failure” who needed to be gone.
“Everyone kind of knew (the Democratic Party was against Bernie Sanders), but that doesn’t mean it will change now that it’s proven. It’s just more of the same,” she said.
Philadelphia police called Sunday’s protests peaceful and said they were pleased with how things were going.
Earlier in the day, thousands of clean-energy activists jammed a downtown street in their milelong march from City Hall to Independence Hall, near the Liberty Bell. They held anti-fracking and anti-pipeline signs, some with illustrations showing a train surrounded by a fireball and the words “No Exploding Trains.” Others held “Bernie or Bust” signs.
Sam Miller, 82, traveled from Erie, Pennsylvania, to join the march that stretched several blocks and across a wide street as temperatures in the city soared into the mid-90s. He said he was inspired because “fracking is invading Mother Earth.”
The heat wave is not going away anytime soon. It will hit a peak Monday with temperatures in the city possibly reaching 100 degrees but feeling like 108, according to the National Weather Service.
Officials said volunteers will be handing out water to demonstrators all week.
Some of the largest protests will start about 4 miles north of the Wells Fargo Center in south Philadelphia, where the convention is being held. Most protests during the RNC were concentrated in a tight, 1.7-square-mile zone downtown. A heavy police presence and fewer than expected protesters helped keep the calm. About two dozen arrests were made, and there were no significant injuries.
More than 5,000 delegates are among the 50,000 people set to attend the four-day convention, which is expected to culminate with Clinton being named the party’s official nominee for president.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Killary will do anything for votes. Promises, promises. All she does is lie and uses people to get votes. American people wake up. She has broken the right along with our so, called president. Another liar, one who has torn our great country apart. He is a racist. We want you out and take killary with you. Go be with BLM. All of you should look around your neighborhoods, our your lives better since obama became president. Just to get votes they promise you everything and you get nothing in return for your votes. You are being used.
Spot on.
” All she does is lie and uses people to get votes ”
Agreed !!!!
Agreed !!!!
Agreed !!!!
CAN’T STAND HER SMUG ATTITUDE, AND HER SMUG BOTOXED FACE, while she screws “WE THE PEOPLE”!!!!
She may as well screw we the people because Bill won’t do her.
If you’re a mother or a grandmother you better do all you can to get the other mothers and grandmothers to vote against Hillary, otherwise our children will not have the future they deserve. America will become killing fields with terrorist and thugs out to get everything they can. God help our moms and dads as they get older and no SS money left and prices at an all time high. That’s not even mentioning the disabled or veterans. Hillary is not going to help you, she’s only going to continue to pad her own pockets. Please help keep her out of the White House and out of our lives for good.
Vote trumph and make America great,the men will have to stand to piss and the women sit and the pedophiles can stay shopping at target
The Democrats LBJ said that the Democratic Party would buy the black vote for the next 50 years they have made all of you unwitting Slaves to their promises which are not kept they give you entitlements so you stay poor and broke waiting for a free handout you would be better off working and have some self respect even at minimum wage Hiwever the Democrsts have taxed businesses so high many have left this country and they let in tens of thousands of illegals who take jobs from Americans Do you not see they are trying to bypass immigration laws and make them citizen slaves only for their vote by giving them entitlements too making them poverty stricken skates to Demicratic party lies and unkept promises May God help us all Amen
Obviously the teen massacre at club blu in Florida by clandestine mercenaries drug cartels didn’t take away the effect of these emails: Is Sanders a “Jew Boy or Atheist” and Hispanics and blacks are dollar store commodities. They are “gated community democrats” with armed body guards and Hillary has the FBI in her pocket. Two Mayors executed by cartels in Mexico with six federal agent body guards with superficial wounds should explain your worth, peonage dollar store scum.
These protestors should be making Corrupt Hillary the main focus of their unhappiness. Clinton in partnership with Debbie Schultz cheated their candidate in the primary system. Wall Street already has Hillary on their side. Big Oil will also buy Hillary if she wins the presidency. Regardless of what Hillary or her surrogates say from the convention hall, Hillary is for sale to the highest bidders. Her convictions take second place to her desire for pure power.
Since the primaries were rigged, the Sanders delegates should push for all delegates to become unbound prior to the roll call vote. It’s only fair that the delegates be allowed to vote their convictions after learning the national party in cooperation with the Clinton campaign cheated.
HILLARY IS GOING DOWN….TRUMP IS GOING TO WIN & WIN YUUUUUUUUGE !!! TRUMP – PENCE 2106 !!!!!
Killary can not be allowed to become POTUS. She’s the last thing America needs. She’s a damn liar and can not be trusted at all. You think Obama was bad, just wait and see what Killary would be like as POTUS. You can kiss our Constitution and America goodbye. The only ones who would benefit from Killary becoming POTUS would be the criminals & terrorists.
The American people are a total disappointment. They first elect a Socialist MUSLIM FRAUD twice, let a communist run the presidency and let a killer of 4 Americans get to run for President. What if that was your son or daughter who was trapped at Bengazi and the bitch told the military to stand down? Then you got to watch as they dragged your loved one around behind a jeep! Would you vote for her then? God Bless America.
Russia releasing e mails
Benghasi massacre because of movie
What next. The hillary liberals
Can’t stop lying.
Crooked Killary and Obama have been disastrous for USA, from being the most powerful nation to the present state, its level of governance and administration has become mediocre, I feel terribly sad for the decline,Americans can’t get jobs, the establishment prefers outsourcing not only jobs but companies too. Vote for Mr, Donald Trump and watch America come on the right track again.
Its Only Going To Get Much Worse At The DNC,,,,,BUT…These Democrats Are So Corrupt And Evil I Would NOT Put Anything Over Them To Cheat And Steal This Election For Their Girl HILL To Make Her The Next President,…Just Remember 90% Of Hollywood Back And Supports Hillary R.Clinton As The First Ever Woman President,….Hillary Is Having A lot Of Big Hollywood Celebrities Speak In Support For Her All This Week At The DNC,….I Refuse To Watch This Vile Hate FEAST And These Sick HATEFUL Celebrities Spew Their VENOM At TRUMP!!!…Maybe I Will Watch A Good Old CLINT EASTWOOD Movie Or JOHN WAYNE.BUT.I Will NOT WATCH A BUNCH OF HATEFUL SPITEFUL HOLLYWOOD BRATS!!!!
Need 100K more for protesting at DNC, Bring em on & in.
Need protests every 2 hours.
To ALL you Millennials, when are you going to wake up and see what the Democrats are really about. Look at this lying MUSLIM phony that occupies the oval office now….fake, fraud, Muslim LIAR. The Democrats duped all of you through this entire primary.
Yes….you ALL were lied to. This WITCH should never sit her FAT arse in the oval office every again. Think what’s going to happen to you and your children and their children if ROTTEN HITLERY gets elected. All I can say is I hope ALL of you wake up and do your research on these NASTY ROTTEN CLINTON’S before you make a BIG mistake and vote for the FAT BEAST HITLERY.
May GOD be with you ALL……..!
The party elites stole the primary and gave it to Hillary. You should be pissed off. They hand picked her. Your votes mean nothing to them.