High school-age protesters from around the nation gasped, swooned and chanted “Bernie! Bernie!” on Wednesday at the Capitol as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., arrived to talk at a gun control rally.
Sanders arrived as Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Conn., was speaking, and she had to stop as the crowd of kids screamed and rushed to see the popular senator.
“Is he coming?” Esty asked as she lowered her megaphone.
Sanders was coming. Seconds later, he started making his way toward the stage, fighting his way through the crowd of high school fans who swarmed him.
Many kids took selfies with the 76-year-old senator, and event organizers had to plead with the crowd to let him through.
He only spoke for about a minute.
“We are very proud of what you are doing. You the young people of this country are leading the nation and the Congress…” Sanders said as the rest of his words were drowned out by the cheering kids.
Sanders exited just as he entered: surrounded by a mob of kids, many of which probably weren’t old enough to vote.
“Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!” they chanted.
“Oh my god! Oh my god!” one high schooler could be heard screaming as he left.
