LOS ANGELES — More than two years since Black Lives Matter protesters confronted Sen. Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally in Seattle, Sanders joined leaders of the movement in California to call for changes to the “dysfunctional, destructive” criminal justice system.
The former Democratic presidential hopeful received a warm reception from supporters and activists at the packed Million Dollar Theater in Los Angeles on Saturday evening as he heartily criticized a “broken system” that disproportionately jails African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans.
Activist Shaun King didn’t mince words when introducing Sanders, alluding to the senator’s political ambitions and touting Sanders’ history of support for the civil rights movement. Sanders led the first-known sit-ins in Chicago, King said, fighting segregated housing and oppressive education practices.
“Don’t tell me it is irrelevant, it is an origin story,” said King. “It takes guts in this country, it takes guts to refuse to be a Democrat or a Republican.”
“I believed that he could beat Donald Trump and I still believe he could,” added King.
Acknowledging he hasn’t always championed criminal justice reform, Sanders said five years ago he didn’t know that of the 2 million people incarcerated in the U.S., roughly 400,000 are in jail for “being poor,” but claims he’s “learning fast.”
“Some of us remember reading in Charles Dickens’ books about debtor prisons, you remember that?” Sanders said. “Debtor prisons, oh that was terrible in the 1800s in England. Well, I got news for you, we got debtor prisons in the United States.”
Black Lives Matter activists and JusticeLA are working to halt a more than $2 billion jail-expansion plan in Los Angeles County. Sanders and King urged those in the audience to sign a petition against the expansion.
“Here in California this Tuesday and in the coming years, you here in the largest state in America can help lead this country,” Sanders said. “We need district attorneys and prosecutors who understand that their job is not just throwing people in jail but fighting for justice.”
Sanders’ day-long tour of southern California started with Disney workers fighting for a $15 minimum wage in Anaheim. Next, he stopped in Carson to speak with port truck drivers and warehouse workers calling on elected officials to “end the exploitative and illegal labor practices.”
Though Sanders has dodged questions about whether he plans to challenge President Trump in 2020, his California visit only fanned those flames.
“When we talk about criminal justice reform, this reform has enormous political ramifications. Today ,6 million Americans have lost their right to vote because of felony disenfranchisement,” Sanders said Friday. “A million and a half of them live in the state of Florida. Now, some of you may remember a little while ago that a presidential election was decided by a few hundred votes in Florida.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct a quote from Sen. Sanders. He discussed reading in Charles Dickens’ books about “debtor” prisons, not “ghetto” prisons.
