Man removed from Sanders rally after waving swastika flag

A man was removed from a rally for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in Phoenix after waving a swastika flag.

Sanders, who is Jewish, was welcomed on stage by cheers from the crowd. Rally-goers quickly began booing, though, after the man raised the swastika flag behind Sanders. People nearby quickly ripped the flag out of his hands. He was later escorted from the arena.

Sanders did not appear to notice the man at the time, though he later addressed the crowd, saying, “Whoever it was, I think they’re a little outnumbered tonight.”

A man brought a literal Nazi flag to the rally of a Jewish Socialist candidate for President

He was escorted out by security forcespic.twitter.com/KOLhyJJFxZ

— Siddak Ahuja (@SiddakAhuja) March 5, 2020

Sanders — who, if elected, would be the first Jewish president — is the son of Polish immigrants who fled the Holocaust in Europe, where many of his relatives were killed. 

Mike Casca, a spokesman for the Sanders campaign, told The Hill on Friday that “the senator is aware of the flag with the swastika on and is disturbed by it.”

Steven Slugocki, chairman of the Maricopa County Democratic Party, called the incident “absolutely abhorrent.”

“We can argue about which candidate should get the Dem nomination, but antisemitic acts have no place in this world,” he tweeted. “This is absolutely abhorrent.”

We can argue about which candidate should get the Dem nomination, but antisemitic acts have no place in this world. This is absolutely abhorrent. pic.twitter.com/U5gvT7Db6y

— Steven Slugocki (@Slugocki) March 6, 2020

The rally also included minor altercations between Trump supporters and Sanders supporters, The Washington Post reported.

Some have pointed at the incident as more reason that additional security, such as Secret Service agents, should be provided for presidential candidates.

The Secret Service reported Thursday that no presidential candidate had asked for security services from them after an incident involving presidential hopeful and former Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday when protesters charged on stage during a Super Tuesday victory speech.

Updated at 2:59 p.m.