Following his early Super Tuesday victories, 2020 Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden began delivering his remarks when protesters stormed the stage shouting, “Let dairy die.”
Biden’s wife appeared to have tried to stop the female protester as she rushed the stage. The protesters were quickly removed by those around Biden including his campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders who jumped on stage quickly to remove one of the protesters.
Later on, Sanders tweeted, “I broke a nail.”
I broke a nail. #SuperTuesday
— Symone D. Sanders Townsend (@SymoneDSanders) March 4, 2020
Watch the video below:
BREAKING: Protesters rush the stage toward Joe Biden during #SuperTuesday night speech; they were stopped by people near Biden. Biden is continuing with his speech. pic.twitter.com/Rj9qbWqYuK
— NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) March 4, 2020
The protesters, from a group called Direct Action Everywhere, are no strangers to campaign rallies and events held by presidential hopefuls. They have also interrupted rallies held by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.).
During a campaign rally held by Sanders in Nevada, one protester grabbed the microphone and said, “Bernie I’m your biggest supporter and I’m here to ask you to stop propping up the dairy industry and stop propping up animal agriculture.” She continued, “I believe in you,” until the microphone was cut off.
According to a statement released by Direct Action Everywhere, the other topless protesters that had stormed the stage at the Nevada rally were arrested and charged with indecent exposure and were later released on $2,500 bail each.
“Let dairy die” protesters were also removed from Warren’s rally in Los Angeles on Monday. The statement released by the group also called on Warren to end her support of the dairy industry.
One of the protesters said in a statement, “Senator Warren’s troubling ties to the dairy industry and indifference toward animal suffering fly in the face of the progressive values she claims to stand for. We’re asking her to stand with animal rights advocates, environmental activists, and ordinary citizens – and against the inherent violence of the dairy industry.”
Super Tuesday proved successful for Biden as he won nine of fourteen states, with not all the final results in so far. The next primary contests are set for March 10.