PHILADELPHIA -- Nina Turner, the former state senator from Ohio who emerged as one of Bernie Sanders' most passionate champions, planned to deliver a speech nominating Sanders for president at the Democratic National Convention.

But Turner, in a telephone interview Wednesday with cleveland.com, said that when she arrived here Tuesday at the Wells Fargo Center, she was barred from going backstage. Instead, she was sent to speak with Sanders' staff.

"They would not allow it," Turner said.

Turner would not elaborate on who made the decision. A Sanders representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Nor did spokesmen for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton or the Democratic National Committee.

But Turner had ruffled feathers among the Clinton team and DNC. Even as Sanders came to the realization that his campaign had fallen short of Clinton's, Turner remained one of his top surrogates. She had been critical of how outgoing DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz presided over primary season. And there were efforts this week by Sanders' fans to nominate her for vice president instead of Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, whom Clinton chose as her running mate.

The bitterness dates to last fall, when Turner switched her allegiance to Sanders. The former Cleveland city councilwoman and high-ranking Ohio Democratic Party leader was among Clinton's early backers. Former President Bill Clinton helped raise money for her unsuccessful Ohio secretary of state run in 2014.

Turner said Wednesday that she and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii had been set to deliver speeches placing Sanders' name in nomination. The Tuesday exercise was meant to show respect for the Vermont senator's loyal supporters, even though Clinton had more than enough pledged delegates for a first-ballot nomination.

Gabbard gave her speech as planned. Turner was replaced.

Sanders ended the subsequent roll call by asking for a unanimous convention vote in Clinton's favor. But some of his allies remained frustrated and walked out of the arena to stage a silent protest. And later that night, false reports spread that the DNC and Clinton campaign had stripped Turner of her convention credentials.

A group of Sanders supporters -- including Hollywood stars Danny Glover and Susan Sarandon -- protested Turner's exclusion at a Wednesday evening rally and news conference staged inside the convention's media filing center.

Reporters outnumbered the demonstrators. Many in the crowd could be heard asking, "Who is Nina Turner?" or incorrectly describing her biography.

Turner and a spokeswoman both told cleveland.com earlier Wednesday that she had no involvement in the event and would not attend. But Turner arrived about an hour after it began, as only Sarandon a few stragglers remained.

"Thank you, Nina!" they called out as news cameras swarmed her.

This post has been updated.