PHILADELPHIA — The deep divisions within the Democratic Party erupted at their convention Wednesday as chants of “No more war” disrupted former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta’s speech.
As Mr. Panetta pleaded for a firm hand in fighting terrorism, delegates from Washington and Oregon began their chant, forcing him off script for a few moments — until the crowd drowned them out with chants of U-S-A.
The convention turned out the lights over those sections, hoping to silence them and make them tougher to capture on camera.
Minutes earlier, a group of California delegates began chanting “stop, stop, stop” when security guards were allegedly manhandling a fellow delegate.
The Bernie Sanders supporter was searching for a seat in the crowded stands when security guards intervened, grabbing the man and kicking shins, said California delegate Luci Riley.
She said the incident was captured with a cell phone video, which soon will be posted on YouTube.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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