Progressives debate whether political violence is justified by Trump's extremist views.

"That was messed up, Butthead."

Okay, that's not really what they said, but still one group of Sen. Bernie Sanders supporters were recently caught on camera beating each other up, mistaking each as Donald Trump supporters.

In the video, protestors argue and become violent with each other, apparently mistaking each other for Donald Trump supporters. Once they start shouting at each other, the two groups realize they all support Sanders, and begin to chant "Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!" The video was uploaded to youtube Friday, and may be seen at the bottom of this article.

"Could these people pass a high school civics test?" asked one right wing commentator on FoxNews, asserting that some of Bernie's supporters are not the best and brightest.

In contrast to Donald Trump, who has been known to encourage supporters to punch protestors at Trump rallies; Sen. Sanders has consistently condemned political violence. On June 2, after protesters brawled with Trump supporters of Donald Trump outside a rally in San Jose, Sen. Bernie Sanders condemned political violence and anyone who committed it while backing his campaign.

"Violence is absolutely and totally unacceptable," said Sanders, after a press conference on the jobs market with former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich. "If people are thinking about violence, please do not tell anybody you are a Bernie Sanders supporter, because those are not the supporters that I want."

A handful of riots that broke out late Thursday evening and were played back all day by news outlets, had nothing to do with the Sanders campaign. The crowd filmed giving chase to Trump supporters, and pelting one with eggs, included anarchists and unaffiliated activists.

But in the hours after the riots, a debate about the morality of political violence and its significance, began among some progressives. Emmett Rensin, an essayist and a deputy editor of VOX, was suspended from his job after saying protestors should "start a riot" if Trump came to their town.

This is part of a general debate in this country, asking whether violent protests were an understandable response to a candidate with views like Donald Trump. The question to Sanders today, from a local reporter, was prompted by clips of some protesters chanting "Bernie" to taunt Trump supporters.

"I understand how reprehensible and disgraceful Donald Trump's positions are; how ignorant they are," said Sanders. "I can understand the anger, I surely can, because I feel it. The bigotry that is coming out of his mouth. The insults to the Mexican community, the Latino community, the Muslim community, and women, and African-Americans and veterans. I understand the anger. But we are not going to defeat Trump by throwing eggs or getting involved in violence of any kind. We defeat Trump when we stand together as one people and fight for a progressive agenda. Educate. Organize. Bring out large numbers of people."

See also

No Defeat, No Surrender for Bernie Sanders. http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/06/08/news/no-surrender-sanders-vows-to-continue-campaign-will-not-drop-out-wont-concede-nomination/1374.html

Republican Ballots apparently not counted in Santa Monica, http://www.smobserved.com/story/2016/06/08/news/become-a-republican-in-santa-monica-and-have-your-vote-demoted/1377.html