Topless animal rights protesters from Direct Action Everywhere confronted Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders during a campaign rally in Carson City, Nevada on Sunday, less than a week before the state’s critical caucuses for the Democratic nomination for president.
Sanders was campaigning with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a former candidate for president, who endorsed the self-proclaimed socialist a few days ago.
The young women attacked Sanders over his support for emergency funding for dairy industry legislation in 2018. Some of the anti-dairy protesters poured colored liquids from “milk” containers over their bodies. They also had words “let dairy die” written on their bodies.
One of the female protesters, Priya Sawhney, who still had her clothes on, took the mic and told the Democratic primary frontrunner: “Bernie, I’m your biggest supporter, and I’m here to ask you to stop pumping up the dairy industry and to stop pumping up animal agriculture.”
After that statement, the woman’s mic went off, security guards intervened, and eventually, Sanders returned to the stage and tried to make light of the situation.
He stated: “This is Nevada. There’s always a little excitement — at no extra cost. Except we have a lot of water on the stage.”
During the whole ordeal, Sanders appeared slightly annoyed While his wife, Jane Sanders, was seen laughing, clearly amused by the unexpected display.
Sawhney later told the media: “I love Bernie, but we must hold abusive industries accountable, not shield and subsidize them. Animal farming is an industry which gives welfare payments to millionaires. People are fed up. Like the Sanders campaign itself, animal rights is a burgeoning mass movement.”
Actvists Carla Cabral, Rachel Ziegler, and Audrey Rees were arrested and their bail was set at $7,500, according to the animal rights actvists.
Online reactions were not unanimous over what the protesters did. One person said: “No! Go to a Trump rally! I don’t understand why you are interfering with Bernie’s campaign. 🙁 I appreciate and live what you all do, but I don’t think this situation, campaign and candidate was the best choice for a protest.”
A critic replied: “I support 100% what you guys stand up for and are fighting for. I respect it ✊??. But as a Bernie supporter, it deff wasn’t the place to do this at. It was very disrespectful to do that to Bernie. Bernie, who is fighting for human rights at this moment since we still have a corrupt president in the White House. One step at a time, guys! Let’s take trump out who doesn’t care for human rights, let alone animal rights . & make sure Bernie takes control of the power so we can start making shit happen!! Keep your head up, guys. ( Patience is key).”
A third commenter went in the same direction and explained: “They should have been locked up and you should have too. You radical vegans/animal rights activists are the reason why so many people are reluctant to support your cause. You stood up there, claiming to be his biggest supporter while interrupting his speech and criticizing him. There are many more ways that you could have gone about speaking to him about your issues that don’t involve being disrespectful. I am even seeing vegans that are ashamed of you, and how you made yourself look foolish and didn’t accomplish anything beneficial, in fact, your misguided actions may have hurt your movement.”
The Sanders campaign has not addressed the controversy.
Chile…Bernie was not here for a taste of what other people experience from his Bernie Bros/Broettes. Did ole girl have her tits out at the end though? Da fuq ???pic.twitter.com/P5pqSArV7v
— BlackWomenViews (@blackwomenviews) February 17, 2020
