Activists disrupted and energized the Democratic presidential primary debate in Detroit on Wednesday, calling on New York’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, to fire the police officer who killed Eric Garner, and on the former vice president, Joe Biden, to apologize for failing to stop the deportation of millions of undocumented immigrants during the Obama administration. The protests from the crowd highlighted two issues — the impunity for police officers that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement and the frustration with Obama’s failure to pass comprehensive immigration reform — that CNN failed to make a priority in the previous debate. But on night two, some candidates tapped into the activist energy in the hall, pushing de Blasio and Biden on their criminal justice and immigration records. Women’s March board members Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour and three other activists started the first protest from the audience in the hall, disrupting de Blasio’s remarks by chanting, “Fire Pantaleo!” They were echoing calls for de Blasio to rid the New York Police Department of Daniel Pantaleo, the police officer who put Eric Garner in a fatal chokehold in 2014. Attorney General William Barr ordered that the case be dropped two weeks ago, a day before the fifth anniversary of Garner’s death at the hands of police officers in Staten Island.

De Blasio thought by mentioning “stop-and-frisk” that it was going to be a clean opening for him.



But a protester yelling “Fire Pantaleo” at the end meant that it was not #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/yRcZOMOsZe — Andrew Jerell Jones (@sluggahjells) August 1, 2019

The protesters “made the decision to stand up for Eric Garner and the sanctity of Black life,” Mallory explained on Twitter.

We chanted “Fire Pantaleo” after he concluded and it was over. We went back to enjoying the debate. A security officer came over to us and said as long as you stay quiet you can remain. — Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) August 1, 2019

After their protest, the activists fell quiet and intended to watch the rest of the debate, Mallory wrote. “Then minutes later after multiple candidates spoke, a police officer came over & showed us his cuffs & said if we didn’t leave we’d be arrested,” she added. “We stayed seated and then they forcibly removed us. We chanted ‘Fire Pantaleo’ & ‘I can’t breathe’ as we were being removed.”

That second disruption, which was not broadcast on CNN but captured on video by other members of the audience, took place as Sen. Cory Booker spoke, initially confusing some viewers as to why his time was also disrupted.

Protestors shouting “Fire Pantaleo” are led out of the Fox Theatre in Detroit. pic.twitter.com/m0G7a1yrPb — Grace Rauh (@gracerauh) August 1, 2019

Mallory explained that the protesters did not intend to interrupt Booker, “it was the Detroit Police Department that interrupted Booker and the debate to intimidate peaceful protesters for standing up for the dignity of Black life that had already completed protest minutes ago. This is our right. We won’t be silent.” Booker, or his campaign, tweeted his support for the protests against de Blasio minutes later.

To the folks who were standing up to Mayor de Blasio a few minutes ago—good for you. That's how change is made. #DemDebate https://t.co/zix0UzmZFa — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 1, 2019

Later in the debate, two other candidates, Julián Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio who served as Obama’s housing secretary, and Kirsten Gillibrand, the New York senator, returned to the Garner murder, urging de Blasio to fire Pantaleo. “Officer Pantaleo used a chokehold that was prohibited by NYPD. He did that for seven seconds; 11 different times Eric Garner said that he couldn’t breathe,” Castro said. “He knew what he was doing, that he was killing Eric Garner, and he has not been brought to justice. That police officer should be off the street.”

Eric Garner was put in an illegal chokehold, he said he couldn't breathe 11 times.



Officer Pantaleo should not be on the streets, he should be fired. #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/B1qeqkQoyU — Julián Castro (@JulianCastro) August 1, 2019

The second protest came after Biden was asked about deportations during the Obama administration. “Vice President Biden, in the first two years of the Obama administration, nearly 800,000 immigrants were deported — far more than President Trump’s during the first two years. Would the higher deportation numbers resume if you were president?” CNN moderator Don Lemon asked. “Absolutely not,” Biden replied. As Biden was pressed on the issue by Castro, two activists from an immigrant rights group, Movimiento Cosecha, stood up in the audience, unfurling banners that read “Stop All Deportations on Day One” and chanting “Three million deportations!”

A second protest disruption at #DemDebate, calling out Biden for the Obama administration's "3 million deportations!" pic.twitter.com/qn2IWIzsHH — Zack Ford (@ZackFord) August 1, 2019

The news breaking out during the debate was, again, not covered by CNN — and Biden was encouraged to ignore it by Lemon — but was reported by a student journalist, Claire Hao of The Michigan Daily, an independent, student-run newspaper.

Two in the audience chant, “3 million deportations” as candidates debate decriminalizing the U.S. southern border pic.twitter.com/bF3fafyFcD — Claire Hao (@clairehaoTMD) August 1, 2019

More protestors removed! Protesting Biden in the deportations that occurred under his vice presidency it seems! #DemDebate #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/1iE7kAjXGB — Elyssa (@ElyssaK) August 1, 2019

After the protest, Booker called out Biden for echoing Republican plans to welcome only highly educated immigrants. “That’s playing into what the Republicans want — to pit some immigrants against other immigrants,” Booker said. “Some are from ‘shithole countries,’ and some are from ‘worthy countries.'”

Republicans want to pit some immigrants against others. But we need to reform this whole immigration system and begin to be the country that says, “Everyone has worth and dignity, and this should be a country that honors everyone.” #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/rFV9NgAZus — Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) August 1, 2019

In response to Bill de Blasio asking Biden if he had pressed Obama to stop the deportations, Biden said that his advice to the president was confidential.

Joe Biden to Bill de Blasio: "I was vice president. I am not the president. I keep my recommendation to him in private. Unlike you, I expect you would go ahead and say whatever was said privately with him." #DemDebate2 pic.twitter.com/PkAxXVWr2C — The Hill (@thehill) August 1, 2019

Movimiento Cosecha, which has previously confronted Biden to demand that he apologize for his role in the huge numbers of deportations during his two terms as vice president, identified one of the protesters as Ofelia, an immigrant leader in Detroit, who declined to use her full name “due to immigration related concerns.” “I did this because the immigrant community in Michigan is facing a crisis and we need our voices and our demand to be heard: any candidate who claims to be against Trump’s raids and family separations needs to make a real commitment to protect all 11 million undocumented immigrants from detention and deportation,” the activist said in a statement. “That means using executive authority to stop all deportations on day one in office. We won’t accept empty promises of immigration reform. Obama promised immigration reform and then separated 3 million families. We cannot allow history to repeat itself.”

Why I interrupted @JoeBiden at the #DemDebate:



"My community is facing a crisis & we need to be heard: any candidate who claims to oppose Trump’s raids and family separations must make a real commitment to protect all 11 mil undocumented immigrants from detention & deportation." pic.twitter.com/W6lyO0I2bv — Movimiento Cosecha (@CosechaMovement) August 1, 2019

Earlier this month, immigrant families affiliated with the movement staged a sit-in at Biden’s headquarters in Philadelphia, demanding an apology for the separation of families during the Obama administration.

Happening now: Allies are being threatened with arrests at @JoeBiden's campaign headquarters in Philadelphia after immigrant families shut down the building to share their stories of detention and deportation under Obama. #DignityNotDeportation pic.twitter.com/CqkITsh8rO — Movimiento Cosecha (@CosechaMovement) July 10, 2019

Two weeks ago, students in New Hampshire and an undocumented immigrant activist from Guatemala — whose brother was detained in 2016 and later deported — confronted Biden, asking for an apology and a commitment to end mass deportation.

Today we confronted Joe Biden about his shameful immigration record. We need a democratic nominee who can win support from the millions of people who are outraged over ICE’s imprisonment, deportation, and separation of immigrants and immigrant families. pic.twitter.com/nY6iw7M5Zp — New Hampshire Youth Movement (@NHYouthMovement) July 13, 2019

The immigrant activist who spoke to Biden was also separated from his 3-year-old daughter this past May.

Biden told the activists in New Hampshire that he would not apologize for deporting those with felony charges.

Biden’s meet+greet in Dover got derailed for a few minutes when activists from Movimiento Cosecha called on him to apologize for mass deportations under Obama pic.twitter.com/lShAGOXM8L — Stephanie Murray (@StephMurr_Jour) July 12, 2019