Hillary Clinton met privately with representatives of the Black Lives Matter movement after the activists were kept out of a New Hampshire campaign event by Secret Service agents who said the space had reached its full capacity.
Shortly before the event on drug enforcement in Keene, New Hampshire, activists told the New Republic of their intention to ask the candidate about her previous support of policies that “funnel money away from anti-poverty programs and into hyper-militarization of urban police forces”.
When they arrived, a Clinton spokesman and a Secret Service official told CNN, the doors to the event were closed because it had reached capacity. The activists and about 15 other people were offered access to an overflow room, a campaign spokesman told reporters.
Members of the movement tweeted that they had “gotten the attention of” campaign staff.
Huge thanks to everyone tweeting about #HollupHillary action. We've gotten the attention of @HillaryClinton's staff & they are working w us.
— BlackLivesMatterBOS (@BLM_Boston) August 11, 2015
After the event concluded, the campaign announced Clinton would be visiting the overflow room, and a campaign spokesman said the activists requested she do so without the media present. No reason for the request was given.
One of the protesters, Daunasia Yancey, said afterwards the group had hoped that in the meeting she would address her role in policies they argue hurt black Americans as first lady, US senator and secretary of state. Clinton, Yancey said, stuck to discussing policies she would change if elected president.
“What we were looking for was a conversation around her and her family’s part in perpetuating white supremacist violence in this country and abroad, and her reflection in her part in that,” Yancey said. “That is not what we heard in response.”
Activists with Black Lives Matter have disrupted Democratic campaign events before, most recently when presidential candidate Bernie Sanders ceded the microphone to protests in Seattle before eventually walking off the stage. At a campaign event in California on Monday night, Sanders attempted to repair his relationship with the civil rights protesters.
Four people wearing #BlackLivesMatter shirts outside Clinton's event in Keene. Haven't been let in yet. pic.twitter.com/zFpmahl3RM
— Dan Merica (@danmericaCNN) August 11, 2015
