Bernie Sanders refused to apologize for his supporters’ aggressive actions at the Nevada Democratic Party convention, claiming that the party does not treat them with “the respect and fairness they have earned.”
“Within the last few days there have been a number of criticisms made against my campaign organization. Party leaders in Nevada, for example, claim that the Sanders campaign has a ‘penchant for violence.’ That is nonsense,” Sanders said in a statement on Monday.
The Sanders campaign’s complaints come after a large group of his supporters threatened the Nevada Democratic Party chairwoman at the state party’s convention. Rioting, harassment and even death threats marked the Saturday meeting over the allocation of superdelegates.
Following the event the Nevada Democratic Party wrote a letter to the Democratic National Committee in which they warn that such violence from Sanders supporters could foreshadow a chaotic Democratic National Convention in July.
On Monday DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz called on both Sanders and Hillary Clinton to speak out against the violence at the Nevada delegate selection and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada called the events a “test of leadership” for the Vermont senator.
While Sanders briefly condemned “any and all forms of violence” his statement focused primarily on the need for change within the leadership of the Democratic Party and also lists the “failures” of Nevada party officials.
“The Democratic Party has a choice. It can open its doors and welcome into the party people who are prepared to fight for real economic and social change — people who are willing to take on Wall Street, corporate greed and a fossil fuel industry which is destroying this planet. Or the party can choose to maintain its status quo structure,” Sanders wrote.
