Bernie Sanders Supporters Use Tech To Organize Grassroots Protests At DNC

Senator Bernie Sanders supporters dominated the parks and areas surrounding the area where the Democratic National Convention was held last week. Sanders supporters had a social media frenzy of information sharing using hastags #BernieSanders #Bernieorbust #FeeltheBern. Supporters also shared details about protests in Philadelphia close to the Wells Fargo Convention Center where former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton accepted the presidential nomination.

During the DNC, Sanders supporters protested against the DNC email leak, Hillary, Donald Trump, and trying their hardest to get Sanders back in the race. The hashtag #DNCLeak was number one trending on Twitter for nearly two days. The grassroots nature of Sanders campaign still marches on. People from every background and denomination came together in Philadelphia through social media to fight for Sanders related causes. Black Lives Matter and numerous other groups, including Green Party candidate Dr. Jill Stein, also covered the streets of Philadelphia during the DNC. Social media has played an integral role in the organization of all of these rallies and protests. The Sanders supporters were at their own events and supported other groups protesting including Black Lives Matter during the week-long event.

Although his presidential campaign is over, Sanders supporters reuse to give up the movement. Sanders’ biggest supporters are typically under the age of 45 and have a lower income, making free social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, were the perfect platform to organize and gain support and funding. The average donation to Sanders’ campaign was only $27, but his strong social media following made it possible for these amounts to add up to big dollars. Supporters used these sites to organize rallies during the primaries. One rally in New York City’s Washington Square Park was attended by over 20,000 supporters.

Now that Clinton has officially accepted the Democratic nomination, Sanders is urging his supporters to stand with her. “It is easy to boo, but it’s harder to look your kids in the face who would be living under Donald Trump,” Sanders stated during his speech Monday night at the DNC. Sanders continues to Tweet, letting his followers know that although his race may be over, his message should not end with him. He tweeted, “Election days come and go. But political revolutions that attempt to transform our society never end.”