US 2016 Presidential Elections: Flag Burning Riles Crowds Outside DNC as Clinton Accepts Nomination

Local Editor

Hours before Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was to deliver her speech accepting her party's nomination, protests outside the event have turned passionate.

Throughout the four-day Democratic National Convention [DNC], several protests have occurred. Following Tuesday's official nomination of Clinton as the party's presidential nominee, a number of delegates for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders walked out of the venue.

With the former US Secretary of State scheduled to deliver her acceptance speech on Thursday evening, some demonstrators have been burning American flags in the streets of Philadelphia, the nation's original capital city.

But other protesters stepped in to stop the display.
Witnesses identified the flag burners as members of RevCom, a so-called communist group, though those reports are unverified.

A wide range of people have gathered outside of the convention site, including supporters of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.

Supporters of Sanders, who claim the DNC worked against their candidate throughout the primary race, were vindicated over the weekend after WikiLeaks released a trove of internal emails showing high-ranking DNC officials acting on a strong bias for Clinton.

Hillary Clinton is the first female presidential candidate for a major US political party in the history of the country. Sanders delegates reportedly plan to burn their credentials as they walk out on Clinton's speech.

During her nomination speech on Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Clinton said she accepted her party's presidential nomination "with humility."

"It is with humility, determination and boundless confidence in America's promise that I accept your nomination for president of the United States," Clinton declared.

Clinton promised to improve economic opportunities in the US and urged US voters to embrace four more years of a Democratic White House rather than elect her Republican rival Donald Trump.

Clinton will face Trump in the November presidential election.

She criticized Trump throughout her nearly hour-long speech, and defined her policy agenda largely against that of her Republican opponent as she condemned his "bigotry."

Clinton described Trump as a self-absorbed and unstable leader that is in contrast to America's need for a level-headed and compassionate leadership.

According to Gallup poll released earlier this month, Trump and Clinton are currently among the worst-rated presidential candidates of the last 70 years.

Almost six in 10 Americans, or 57 percent, have an unfavorable view of Clinton, while 38 percent have a favorable view of her, a Gallup poll released on Monday has found.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team