Democratic National Convention – Days 1 & 2: Protesters Make Flag Fall and Bonehead Run

On Day One, the Mississippi State Flag came down after protests, and Day Two, Matt Forney saw his 24-hour honeymoon period reporting on those protests end.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The first two days of the Democratic National Convention have seen fireworks inside as news of emails showing the Democratic National Committee possibly showed favoritism to Hillary Clinton, leading Bernie Sanders supporters to make vocal protests against her nomination. Outside, protests were just as loud as over 30,000 persons came out to oppose the DNC. And just like at the Republican National Convention, the hatemongers of the so-called “alternative right” were there to observe and cover it until they were identified. In addition, protesters were successful Monday in getting the city to take down the Mississippi State Flag, which is adorned with the Confederate Stars and Bars flag, the only state flag currently maintaining the controversial symbol.

“There was some chanting talking about taking the flag down, basically ‘Fuck that flag!’” one activist told One People’s Project about when they first saw it flying on Broad St. “After about fifteen minutes, police came up with a cherry picker and took the flag down!”

State flags normally fly along Broad Street, and the presence of the Mississippi had a similar but minor reaction when it was seen flying during the 2000 Republican National Convention. That year the flag was not taken down. The removal this year however, generated a response from Men’s Rights Activist and White Supremacist Matt Forney who, as he did in Cleveland during the Republican Convention last week, is covering the Democratic Convention this week for the White Supremacist blog Red Ice. “The cries of ‘TAKE IT DOWN!’ were directed at the police and fire department, who were expected to stop saving lives long enough to remove the flag themselves,” he wrote in an article, also remarking how he was able to go through the crowd during the course of the day undetected. That changed on Tuesday, when while covering the Black Resistance rally that afternoon. He was spotted by some in the crowd and approached. According to those approaching him, Forney quickly ran away, even tripping and falling as he attempted to get behind the police line. He would later be seen at City Hall where the Black Resistance rally ended up, but ended walking in the opposite direction once he was seen. Antifa Philadelphia tweeted out an alert that he was in Philadelphia, and he is expected to remain in town to continue his reporting, along with others that accompanied him.

Matt Forney was spotted at the DNC resist march. White Sonic Youth shirt. Heads up! https://t.co/aVdyNQGXls

— ANTIFA Philadelphia (@PhillyANTIFA) July 26, 2016

The Convention, which nominated Hillary Clinton to be the presidential nominee on Tuesday, continues on until Thursday.