DNC Protesters Removed From Comcast Building Following Sit-In
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Latest on protests and demonstrations on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention (all times local):
2:45 p.m.
Ten protesters have been detained and given citations after holding a sit-in inside Comcast Corp.'s headquarters in Philadelphia on the fourth day of demonstrations against the Democratic National Convention.
One of the protesters, Luigi Costello, of Sarasota, Florida, says that the group sat down in the concourse level of the building Wednesday and chanted for the media to "stop entertaining, start investigating."
The group was later released.
Members of Occupy DNC were protesting what they say is a failure by the mainstream media to report the truth.
The midday protest shut down a busy food court inside the downtown skyscraper for about an hour.
Comcast is the nation's largest cable TV operator and residential Internet service provider. It owns NBC and its affiliated cable news networks, among other entertainment properties.
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1:20 p.m.
Police have removed about a dozen protesters from the Comcast Corp. headquarters in Philadelphia on the fourth day of demonstrations around the city against the Democratic National Convention.
Police say they were taken away to be issued citations.
The busy food court inside the downtown skyscraper has also been reopened to the public.
Members of Occupy DNC were protesting what they say is a failure by the mainstream media to report the truth.
Comcast is the nation's largest cable TV operator and residential Internet service provider. It owns NBC and its affiliated cable news networks, among other entertainment properties.
About 200 demonstrators have also gathered near City Hall. The Democratic convention is being held about 4 miles away at the Wells Fargo Center.
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12:30 p.m.
Police have detained about a dozen demonstrators inside the Comcast Corp. headquarters in Philadelphia.
Members of Occupy DNC are protesting what they say is a failure by the mainstream media to report the truth.
Comcast is the nation's largest cable TV operator and residential Internet service provider. It owns NBC and its affiliated cable news networks, among other TV properties.
The demonstrators are chanting a "reformed democracy depends on an honest media."
The Comcast Center has been closed to the public, preventing access to a large food court that usually draws a large lunchtime crowd. Some protesters also remain outside the skyscraper, Philadelphia's tallest.
Demonstrators are also gathering near City Hall for the fourth day of protests against the Democratic National Convention. The convention is being held about 4 miles away at the Wells Fargo Center.
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11:55 a.m.
Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas haven't played together in five years, but they will be playing separate concerts on the same night in Philadelphia.
The two shows Wednesday coincide with the Democratic National Convention.
The Black Eyed Peas are listed as headliners for a Rock The Vote concert at the Fillmore Philadelphia, while Fergie is headlining a concert at the Electric Factory for the Creative Coalition, a social and public advocacy organization for entertainers.
The Grammy-winning rap group, which also includes members Will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo, had multiplatinum hits with songs like "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling." Fergie joined the band as a singer in 2002. The band announced a hiatus in 2011.
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11:45 a.m.
No marches are planned on Day 3 of the Democratic National Convention, but two groups supporting Bernie Sanders are slowly gathering for daylong rallies near Philadelphia's City Hall.
Black Men for Bernie and Occupy DNC Convention both plan rallies and speeches at Thomas Paine Plaza. Just after 11 a.m. Wednesday a few dozen supporters are gathering and blasting the tunes of "Lean on Me" singer Bill Withers.
Some smaller protests popped up around the city Wednesday morning, including at a Marriott hotel where a number of delegations are staying and the Comcast Center. Pro-Palestine protesters chanted "No more Israel."
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1:15 a.m.
Bernie Sanders loyalists believe the Democratic Party could rupture over Hillary Clinton's nomination after a volatile night that saw Sanders delegates leave the party's national convention in Philadelphia to stage a sit-in at a media tent.
Protesters are rejecting Sanders' call for unity, even after the Vermont senator declared Clinton the winner of the delegate count at Tuesday's convention.
College student Cory James of Flint, Michigan, says a fundamental shift in American politics could be underway if the party splits.
Thousands of activists have taken to the streets during the convention this week to support Sanders and his progressive agenda.
Their critics fear they may inadvertently help Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Tiara Willis, of Philadelphia, subscribes to the slogan, "I'm with her ... I guess." She calls Clinton, "the lesser of two evils."
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