(JTA) — The presidential campaign of Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders has apologized for ejecting members of a pro-Palestinian student group from a rally in Boston.
The incident occurred Saturday night at a large Sanders rally at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, where members of Boston Students for Justice in Palestine said they were told by police and venue staff to take down a sign reading “Will Ya #Feel The Bern 4 Palestine??!” According to an account posted on the group’s Facebook page, police told the activists that they were trespassing and threatened them with arrest if they did not leave the venue.
Jeff Weaver, Sanders’ campaign manager, told the Washington Post on Monday that the instructions to take down the sign came from a “rogue” low-level campaign employee.
“That person has been excluded from working on any of our future events,” Weaver said. He also said that the campaign called and apologized to the student group.
The group also posted a video on YouTube of the activists’ ejection from the venue.
On its post, Boston Students for Justice in Palestine wrote, “We understand we may have asked a tough question for Bernie’s campaign. However, what concerns us most about being unwelcome in this political space on the basis of a sign is not what is says about Bernie’s stance on Palestine, but rather, his team’s refusal to entertain diverse viewpoints.”
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