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California Democratic Convention events canceled after interruptions from pro-Palestine demonstrators [1]

['Daniel Macht', 'Https', 'Www.Facebook.Com', 'Michelle Bandur', 'Nijzel Dotson', 'Digital Media Manager', 'Digital Producer']

Date: 2023-11-19 18:42:00+00:00

California Democratic Convention events canceled after interruptions from pro-Palestine demonstrators Share Copy Link Copy

WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS. AND THAT BREAKING NEWS IS IN SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA. DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION EVENTS TONIGHT ARE NOW CANCELED. CONVENTION ORGANIZERS TELL KCRA 3 THERE ARE SAFETY AND SECURITY CONCERNS FOR DELEGATES AND CONVENTION PARTICIPANTS THAT ARE OUT OF THEIR CONTROL. OFFICIALS WOULDN’T SPECIFY WHAT THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES ARE. WE DO KNOW PROTESTERS SHUT DOWN STREETS IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO TONIGHT AND HUNDREDS OF PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS DISRUPTED THE CONVENTION CALLING FOR A CEASE FIRE. KCRA 3’S MICHELLE BANDUR IS NOW LIVE IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO AT THE SAFE CREDIT UNION CONVENTION CENTER, WHICH WE KNOW IS ON LOCKDOWN. MICHELLE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU’RE STANDING OUTSIDE AT THIS POINT. WHAT’S HAPPENING THERE RIGHT NOW? WELL, BRITNEY, WE JUST LEARNED THAT THE BUILDING IS NOW EMPTY. ALL OF THOSE PROTESTERS ARE GONE. BUT AS WE SAID, NOT BEFORE, CAUSING A MAJOR DISRUPTION OF THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION HERE BY HAVING ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES CANCELED TONIGHT. THEY WERE GOING UP UNTIL 10:00. SO THE ACTIVITIES JUST WOULD HAVE BEEN ENDING. RIGHT NOW AT THIS TIME IN THE BUILDING, AGAIN, WAS PUT IN LOCKDOWN. AND AT ONE POINT, THEY WERE NOT ALLOWING ANYBODY TO GO INSIDE THE BUILDING. NOW, THIS ALL STARTED BECAUSE OF HUNDREDS OF PRO-PALESTINIAN DEMONSTRATORS. NATOMAS MADE THEIR WAY INTO THE WEST LOBBY OF THE CONVENTION CENTER AND INTERRUPTED MORE ACTIVITIES THAT WERE SCHEDULED HERE TONIGHT, SUCH AS VOTING CAUCUSES AND OTHER CONVENTION BUSINESS. ALL OF THAT WAS CANCELED. I’M TOLD IT WAS PEACEFUL AND THAT THE PROTESTERS STAGED A SIT IN, BUT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANCELED EVERYTHING DUE TO, QUOTE, CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND OUR CONTROL AND FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF OUR DELEGATES AND PARTICIPANTS. THE CHAIR OF THE LARGEST CAUCUS, THE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS, TELLS ME THIS DISRUPTION IS SENDING A MESSAGE TO THE REST OF THE COUNTRY AND POLITICAL LEADERS ABOUT WHERE THEY STAND ON A CEASE FIRE IN GAZA. THEY SHUT IT DOWN BECAUSE A LOT OF PROTESTERS KIND OF WENT IN AND THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO CHECK THEM. RIGHT. I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT. RIGHT? THAT’S THAT’S WHAT HAPPENS SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE, WHEN YOU SEE THE NORMAL ORDER OF HOW THINGS ARE HAPPENING, STILL ENABLING A GENOCIDE, SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE. A DISRUPTION HAS TO HAPPEN IN DEMOCRACY FOR SOMETHING DRASTIC TO CHANGE. RIGHT. SO I’M COMPLETELY OKAY WITH THAT. AND I DID SPEAK TO SEVERAL DELEGATES OUT DELEGATES OUT HERE TONIGHT, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY ACTUALLY JOINED THE PROTESTERS. THEY JOINED THAT SIT IN. NOW, SACRAMENTO POLICE SAY AT THE HEIGHT OF ALL OF THE PROTESTERS TODAY, THERE WERE ABOUT 2500 DEMONSTRATORS TAKING PART. THEY DID SAY THERE WERE NO ARRESTS OR NO INJURIES, BUT EMOTIONS WERE RUNNING HIGH HERE. PROTESTS GET HEATED AT THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION. FIRE AS HUNDREDS OF PRO-PALESTINE PROTESTERS DISRUPT THE POLITICAL PARTY’S BIG EVENT. I KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN TOUGH RACES. US REPRESENTATIVE KATIE PORTER WAS ON STAGE WHEN THEY FIRST INTERRUPTED THE PROCEEDINGS. THEN SECURITY MOVED THE CROWD OUT OF THE MAIN HALL. NOW CEASE FIRE. NOW FOR HOURS THEY TOOK OVER THE LOBBY WITH A SIT IN SAYING THEY DIDN’T HAVE A CHOICE BUT TO BECOME THE AGENDA OF THIS POLITICAL MEETING. WE’VE TRIED EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO. THE DEMOCRATIC WAY, AND NOW WE DO JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, PROTESTING IS OUR RIGHT. WE’RE HERE PROTESTING AND WE’RE SHOWING THEM. WE’RE MAKING THEM LISTEN TO US. FREE PALESTINE. SOME DELEGATES SAT IN THEIR CHAIRS IN DISBELIEF, SAYING THEY WANTED TO HEAR FROM THE CANDIDATES, NOT THE PROTEST LEADERS. THEY’VE MADE THEIR POINT. AND NOW THEY’VE BEEN ASKED TO BE QUIET AND THEY’RE NOT BEING QUIET. THEY’RE TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL. THE PROTEST ESCALATED OUTSIDE AS PRO-PALESTINE SUPPORTERS CLASHED WITH PRO-ISRAEL SUPPORTERS STEALING THEIR ISRAELI FLAG FREE PALESTINE. IF I HAVE TO STAND HERE AND TAKE THE BRUNT OF ABUSE FROM THESE PEOPLE TO PROVE THAT WE STAND WITH ISRAEL AND OUR JEWISH BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THEN SO BE IT. I’LL TAKE THAT BRUNT. THE WAR HAS DIVIDED SOME IN THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. THE GROUP JEWISH VOICES FOR PEACE SIDED WITH THE PALESTINIAN IN THIS PROTEST SETTING OUT 500 PAIRS OF SHOES, WHICH THEY SAY REPRESENTS 5000 CHILDREN KILLED IN THE CONFLICT. THERE’S A LOT OF JEWISH SOLIDARITY. THERE’S A LOT OF -- FOR CEASE FIRE. WE DON’T WANT WHAT HAPPENED TO US TO HAPPEN TO ANYONE ELSE. NEVER AGAIN MEANS NEVER AGAIN FOR ANYONE. NOW, WE SHOULD POINT OUT ONE OF THE FOUR CANDIDATES VYING FOR THAT OPEN SENATE SEAT LEFT OPEN BY THE PASSING OF SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN ACTUALLY SPOKE FOR THE CEASE FIRE. AND THAT WAS REPRESENTATIVE BARBARA LEE, WHO RECEIVED A CHEERS AND APPLAUSE FROM THE DEMONSTRATORS. NOW, AS FOR THE CONVENTION FOR TOMORROW, THE ORGANIZERS ARE STILL DECIDING HOW THEY’RE GOING TO HANDLE THE SITUATION. RIGHT BEFORE WE WENT ON THE AIR, I REACHED OUT TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY AND HAVE NOT HEARD BACK YET. SO WE’RE NOT SURE IF ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES WILL GO ON AS PLANNED. AND WE’LL JUST SEE HOW THEY WILL HANDLE THINGS. TOMORROW, OF COURSE, WE WILL HAVE ALL OF THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU DURING OUR NEWS TOMORROW, AS WELL AS ONLINE REPORTING LIVE IN DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO, MICHELLE BANDUR, KCRA THREE NEWS. MICHELLE, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE MAY HAVE AN UPDATE BY 11:00. WE’LL SEE THE PURPOSE OF THIS WEEKEND LONG CONVENTION IS FOR PARTY DELEGATES TO VOTE ON AN ENDORSING A CANDIDATE AHEAD OF THE MARCH PRIMARY FOR THE SENATE SEAT MADE OPEN BY DIANNE FEINSTEIN’S DEATH. WE KNOW DELEGATES WERE STILL ABLE TO VOTE TONIGHT BEFORE THE CONVENTION GOT SHUT DOWN. WE DID JUST LEARN NONE OF THE FOUR CANDIDATES GOT ENOUGH VOTES TO EARN THE PRIMARIES. FORMAL ENDORSEMENT AT KCRA 3 CAPITAL CORRESPONDENT ASHLEY ZAVALA CONFIRMED TONIGHT THAT MEANS THE CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS HAVE NOT ENDORSED ANYONE FOR THE 2024 SENATE RACE. US REPRESENTATIVE GIVES ADAM SCHIFF KATIE PORTER AND BARBARA LEE, AS WELL AS FORMER TECH EXECUTIVE LEXI REESE, ALL PLEADED FOR VOTES FROM HUNDREDS OF PARTY DELEGATES AT THE CONVENTION. LEE GOT MORE THAN 41% OF THE VOTE. SCHIFF CLOSE BEHIND WITH JUST OVER 40%. PORTER RECEIVED. 16% OF THE VOTE. I REALLY I’M TORN BECAUSE I THINK BARBARA LEE IS A CRITICAL. WE GET A BLACK WOMAN IN SENATE, BUT BARBARA LEE IS SHE’S GOING TO BE 84 AT THE END OF HER TERM. SO RIGHT NOW, I’M LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY WHO IS IS WHO WILL BE DISCUSSING THE NEEDS THAT WE ARE FACING IN IN IN EDUCATION AND SPECIFICALLY WITH NATIVE AMERICAN RIGHTS, AS WELL AS HISTORY TELLING OUR STORIES IS AN ENDORSEMENT FROM THE STATE. DEMOCRATIC PARTY CAN BOOST A CAMPAIGN IN A COMPETITIVE PRIMARY, BUT IT DOESN’T NECESSARILY SIGNAL HOW THE WIDER ELECTORATE FEELS ABOUT THE RACE. AGAIN, NO ONE CANDIDATE WAS RECEIVING THAT ENDORSEMENT TONIGHT. THE CALIFORNIA REPUBLICAN PARTY RELEASED A STATEMENT TODAY ON THE FALL ENDORSING CONVENTION. IN THAT STATEMENT, GOP CHAIRWOMAN JESSICA MILLAN PATTERSON SAID, QUOTE, CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS ARE GATHERING THIS WEEKEND TO CELEBRATE THEIR REGRESSIVE POLICIES THAT HAVE DRIVEN OUR STATE TO THE TOP OF ALL THE WRONG LISTS AND LED LONGTIME RESIDENTS TO MOVE AWAY IN DROVES. THE ONLY VICTORY CALIFORNIANS CAN HOPE FOR OUT OF THEIR CONVENTION IS IF DEMOCRATS MAKE IT THROUGH WITH NO NEW DUI LAWS. CALIFORNIANS HAVE AL

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[1] Url: https://www.kcra.com/article/pro-palestine-demonstrators-interrupt-california-democratic-convention-in-sacramento/45882783

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