Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) practiced getting arrested at a progressive conference over the weekend in preparation for the police response to the protests they’ve planned for the July Democratic National Convention, Buzzfeed reported.
While outlining their plan for “direct action” protests at the Philadelphia convention, several dozen attendees at the People’s Summit conference in Chicago rehearsed their interactions with law enforcement. According to Buzzfeed, the training session included lessons in how to march, how to create a “human chain” to defy police orders to disperse, and how to comply during arrests. The trainers, some of whom wore badges identifying them as “police,” emphasized that the protests would be non-violent.
Backers of the Vermont senator have secured permits to hold rallies at two sites near the Walls Fargo Center, where the convention will be held. The protests are not officially associated with the campaign.
Though Sanders has promised to remain in the race until the convention in the hopes of influencing the party’s platform, he has in recent weeks suggested he will concede to his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. His campaign stopped actively trying to convince superdelegates to switch their allegiance from Clinton to Sanders, and he told supporters in a video address on Thursday that he plans to “begin” his role in defeating Donald Trump “in a very short period of time.”
