WASHINGTON — (CNN) Black Lives Matter protesters interrupted Hillary Clinton on Friday while she was speaking at a historically black university here.
The protesters began chanting “black lives matter” a few minutes into her speech.
At first, the former secretary of state acknowledged them: “Yes they do and I’m gonna talk a lot about that in a minute,” she said.
She then tried ignoring the protesters, shouting her remarks over the chants.
“I have some issues to discuss and proposals to make if our friends will allow me to do it. They may actually find them to their liking,” Clinton said, while continuing to speak over the disruption, one of the loudest she had faced on the campaign trail.
As the protests continued, Clinton supporters began chanting “Let her talk, Let her talk.” Others chanted, “Hillary! Hillary” very loudly, seemingly to drown out the protesters.
Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon who had introduced Clinton just minutes before, personally tried to break up the protests, putting his hands on the shoulders of the protesters and speaking with them.
That effectively quelled the protesters, who were escorted out shortly after the uproar.
Clinton went on finishing her speech — which focused on criminal justice reform and race — to sizable applause from the crowd.
“I am glad the congressman and the mayor have my back,” she said, acknowledging that Lewis and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed had joined her on stage.
A senior Clinton aide told CNN that the candidate has yet to speak with the protesters, but said she may meet with them.
But, the aide said, “I’m not sure they are interested.”
The-CNN-Wire ™ & © 2015 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
(Photo: CNN)
