Gerald Jones,
Student Contributor
On March 19 hundreds of supporters gathered in unison at Penn North Plaza, despite the rain, to rally through the streets of Baltimore for Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders.
The rally was organized by Maryland for Bernie Sanders and Unite Here. Unite Here is a union for hospitality workers.
Before the rally officially started, representatives from Maryland for Bernie Sanders were trying to convince potential voters who were not affiliated with the Democratic Party to change their party status. They were trying to beat the deadline of April 5th to get as many voters as possible.
This occurred because Maryland is a closed primary. This means your voter affiliation will determine who you will be able to vote for.
Bernie Sanders buttons were given out and the organization Maryland for Bernie Sanders was also accepting donations for the volunteers that gave their time to help coordinate that rally.The rally started with The Baltimore Police Department leading the way to make sure everything concerning the event ran smoothly.
While marching through the streets of Baltimore City, many residents were cheering for the supporters and taking pictures as the rally continued.
Chants such as, “Show me what democracy looks like. This is what democracy looks like and Feel the Bern,” engulfed the Baltimore City streets. The fiery spirits of the attendees wouldn’t be dimmed even by the downpour of rain that came through near the middle of the rally.
Despite the rain, the rally still continued, leaving people soaked and wet by the end. The rally took about an hour and ended at the Hollywood Diner located at 400 East Saratoga St.
Once the event concluded, Bernie Sanders supporter Chris Mostris was interviewed and stood firmly in his belief of Bernie being the best candidate. Mostris highlighted Sanders’ social issues and willingness to help veterans as major reasons why he wants to vote for him. Mostis also spoke about Sanders’ idea of a “Political Revolution.”
He stated, “If you want to run for Senator and you believe you can do the best job, and provide a public service to this state by being senator, you should not be restricted by your income. Elections should be publicly funded so then we have Congress filled with people who want to serve the people of the country instead of special interest.”
Unite here representative Nnameke Onejeme was also interviewed about the possibility of Hillary Clinton winning the nomination. He said, “If Bernie doesn’t make it, I’m voting for Hillary.”
Onejeme referred to Bernie supporters who refuse to vote for Hillary as short sighted.
A phone interview was conducted with Keanuu Smith-Brown, a Bernie Sanders supporter who lives outside of Maryland. Smith-Brown is a proud Sanders supporter and is definitely passionate about him being elected as the “leader of the free world.” He was proud of the fact that the rally was a success.
Smith-Brown was asked about Clinton going up against Sanders. He used to be a Clinton supporter but he feels Sanders is more consistent, fearless against big businesses, and has the strength along with the endurance. He also felt that Bernie is a man of the people.
The comparison to former president of the United States Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Sanders came up as Smith-Brown said, “They both invest in families, not big businesses.”
Sanders has also made some promises of what he would do if he was elected as President. Mr. Smith-Brown said, “Bernie is creating a vision and it will happen if we stand together and demand it.”
Sanders’ health issues were also brought into question and Smith-Brown had a swift response to this line of questioning while citing that Mrs. Clinton has had a few medical scares herself. Her most notable medical scare was the brain hemorrhage she suffered a few years back.
Overall the rally seemed like a huge success and only time will tell how this election will pan out.
Articles reflect the views of the author and or those quoted and do not necessarily represent the views of CCBC or the CCBC Connection.
