Yesterday, (Friday) Hillary Clinton held a rally in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally, Clinton’s website announced the rally would take place at Georgia State’s Student Center but a last minute shift carried the campaign to Atlanta’s City Hall.
Georgia State’s SGA Vice President, Anthony Nguyen believes the last minute change was to avoid interruptions during her speech.
“I believe the move was a political strategy,” he told The Signal. “Initially she wanted to make it seem like she’s engaging student voters, getting them involved in the primary process. But I guess that’s not the primary goal now.”
This could be accurate considering Georgia State students Meagan Mwanda and Ashona Husbands were kicked out of Clinton’s rally on Friday. The two attended the Bernie Sanders rally last week at Morehouse College and wanted to compare Clinton’s views but never got a chance to.
The two say they were kicked out of the rally for writing “Black Lives Matter” on the back of a Hillary Clinton sign that was provided by the staffers. “The ironic thing is that the staffer gave me the sign in the first place. If they hadn’t given it to us, I would not have written it down,” Husbands said. “Why are these three words such a threat to her and her campaign?” Mwanda said.
AJC reports, that Clinton’s campaign and Secret Service denied these allegations but Atlanta Police Department did confirm that an officer escorted two young ladies out of the event for having “signs”.
Mwanda says that a Clinton staffer gave her the “Ready 4 Hillary” sign. “I didn’t want to hold it, because I don’t know if I am supporting her yet,” Mwanda said. “I gave it away, but it made its way back to me.”
The students knew they would be at the rally for most of the day, so Husbands had her books and bag. She took out a marker and wrote “Black Lives Matter” on the back of the sign. She also wrote the names of three people recently killed and for whom Black Lives Matter has rallied:
#Sandrabland.
#trayvonmartin.
#Ericgarner.
Clinton, who has always enjoyed support in the black community, has not been fully embraced by the Black Lives Matter movement. Last October, at a speech at Clark Atlanta University, she was interrupted by protesters chanting “black lives matter.”
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The students said staffers and men with green military-type uniforms and bullet proof vests took the students in the hall and, according to both of them, told them that their signs and messages were inappropriate and that they would have to leave.
Elizabeth Espy of the APD said the students were escorted out by plain clothes officers. She said the men in uniform were members of the Atlanta Proactive Enforcement Interdiction (APEX) Unit.
“I wasn’t being violent or disruptive,” Husbands said. “I am an undecided voter. Hillary Clinton says that black lives matter, but when she speaks about the black community, she kind of glosses over it. I wanted her to see the sign and look at me. I wanted her to say something to win me over. The ironic thing is that the staffer gave me the sign in the first place. If they hadn’t given it to us, I would not have written it down.”
Mwanda feels the same by saying:
“It is kind of a metaphor. If she is going to kick out two college students for having a Black Lives Matter sign – an issue that is supposed to be something she supports — what is going to happen when she is in office?” Mwanda said. “I am sure black lives matter to her, but she is handling this poorly. I am still undecided, but this gives me a clearer picture of what Hillary Clinton stands for.”
via AJC
