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A member of Hawaii’s delegation to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia has been kicked out of the group after she was shown on television on Tuesday giving the middle finger as U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz announced Hawaii’s delegate count for Hillary Clinton.
Chelsea Lyons Kent stood behind Schatz, who was flanked by U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and former Gov. John Waihee on the convention floor. As Schatz announced Hawaii’s “15 votes for the next president of the United States, Secretary Hillary Clinton,” the Bernie Sanders supporter raised her middle finger.
Hawaii Democratic Party Chairman Tim Vandeveer said he gave Kent a chance to apologize, but she refused.
“She was unwilling to do so,” he said in a news release. “Therefore, her floor credentials have been revoked for the duration of (the) convention and she will no longer be a part of our delegation.”
Vandeveer said that Kent’s gesture was “inappropriate and not in keeping with the conduct becoming of a national delegate or member of the Democratic Party.”
“Delegates of both campaigns have expressed their shock and disappointment at the incident and have asked me to stress that this in no way reflects the sentiments of the rest of our delegation, regardless of their candidate affiliation,” he said.
Kent didn’t respond to a request for comment. But as her Facebook page exploded with comments, she indicated that the gesture grew out of frustration with the Democratic National Committee, which has been accused of trying to undermine Sanders’ presidential bid.
“The DNC has so blatantly stifled democracy in this election. They have taken every measure to stifle our voices and this movement (as) a whole,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “We cannot afford to be silent any longer. We must let them know that their corruption has not gone unnoticed.”
THE reaction to Kent’s gesture on Facebook was mixed.
“I see this photo as iconic … the perfect capturing of an historic, political moment,” Robin Founder wrote on Kent’s Facebook page. “You are smart, you know corruption is real and you said (expletive) to it.”
However, Gaye Hayashida called it “shameful.”
“You just shamed all of Hawai‘i. It is obvious you were not brought up the local way,” Hayashida wrote on Facebook.
Kent moved to Hawaii last year, according to her Facebook page. She lists her hometown as Dallas.
The Philadelphia convention has been roiled by protests from Sanders supporters galvanized by recently revealed DNC emails, believed to be hacked by Russia, that appear to confirm their concerns that the party leadership favored Clinton’s campaign over that of Sanders.
Sanders supporters, including U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, complained during the primary that DNC leadership was stifling the number of debates during the Democratic presidential primary. The limited number of debates was seen as benefiting Clinton over her lesser-known political rivals, including Sanders.
Supporters have also decried the party’s growing number of superdelegates, who make up about 15 percent of all delegates and can cast a vote for the presidential candidate of their choosing.
ON TUESDAY, Sanders supporters walked out of the convention hall in protest after Sanders officially lost the nomination. Some supporters also booed when Sanders praised Clinton during his Monday convention speech.
Hawaii has been a hotbed of support for Sanders, who achieved a landslide victory here during the Democratic preference poll in March, winning 70 percent of the vote to Clinton’s 30 percent. On Tuesday, Sanders received 19 delegate votes to Clinton’s 15.
Kent was one of the lead volunteer organizers in Hawaii for Sanders.
Bart Dame, also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention, came to Kent’s defense on Wednesday as the incident went viral on social media.
Dame said he didn’t think it was right for party leaders to strip Kent’s credentials.
“There is a righteous indignation that is justified behind her awkward and inappropriate expression of anger,” he said.
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