This week at the Democratic National Convention, Hillary Clinton officially became the first female nominee of a major political party in the United States, but outside the DNC, on the streets of Philadelphia, was the presumptive female nominee of another party. The Green Party's Jill Stein protested the DNC, and even joined some of Bernie Sanders' supporters in a DNC walkout.
For a couple of months now, Stein has been appealing to some of Sanders' progressive supporters, especially after she reached out to Sanders and asked him to collaborate with her on a joint political revolution. Her appeal did not go unheard; after Sanders lost the nomination to Clinton, Cornel West — who Sanders appointed to the Democratic Platform Committee — endorsed Jill Stein, calling Donald Trump a "neo-fascist catastrophe" and Clinton a "neoliberal disaster." This isn't the first time Stein has protested the two-party system, either; in 2012, she and her Green Party running mate were arrested after trying to enter a presidential debate.
In a rally outside Philadelphia's city hall, chants of "Jill not Hill" made it clear that for some on the left, Stein is the progressive alternative to Clinton. Stein would agree with that assertion. She live-tweeted the DNC, criticizing Clinton's neoliberal policies as well as the DNC's treatment of Sanders. She also tweeted live updates of her actions both inside the convention hall — where she joined Sanders' supporters as they made their exit — as well as on the streets.
At the City Hall rally, Stein asked Sanders' supporters — many of whom are now rallying around her — to continue "saying no to that zombie political party whose days are numbered while ours are just beginning." She added that they should "reject the 'lesser evil' and stand up for the greater good," a phrase that has become the cornerstone of her campaign.
A few days before that, she and the Green Party hosted the Power to the People rally across the street from the Wells Fargo convention center where the DNC took place, with speakers ranging from Stein and West to Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin and Bernie-or-Bust supporter YahNe Ndgo. The speakers talked about the U.S.' history of imperialism, about political engagement beyond the two-party system, and about how the Green Party could make a difference in this election.
If you have time, you can check out some of the speeches from the Power to the People rally in the video below.
