A conservative journalist is claiming she was ejected from a public Bernie Sanders campaign event in Ohio on Sunday.
Kaitlin Bennett, 23, who occasionally reports for the far right conspiracy site run by right-wing provocateur Alex Jones, posted video on Twitter showing her being kicked out of the members-only event.
As soon as she sat down in one of the front rows, she was approached by a security guard who asked her to leave.
Conservative journalist Kaitlin Bennett was ejected from a Bernie Sanders campaign event
Bennett was sitting in the audience waiting for the event to begin, when a security guard at the event approached her and told her to leave
When Bennett asked why she couldn't stay and watch, the official said that it was 'invite only.' 'No, it's public,' Bennett responded. 'On Bernie Sanders' website it says public.'
I am a conservative journalist and was just ejected from a @BernieSanders rally for expressing my 1st amendment. I was just sitting there and was told I had to leave, with no reason given except that his campaign didn't want me there. THIS is actual fascism.
'I am a conservative journalist and was just ejected from a @BernieSanders rally for expressing my 1st amendment. I was just sitting there and was told I had to leave, with no reason given except that his campaign didn't want me there. THIS is actual fascism,' Bennett wrote on Twitter.
During the video, the security guard refuses to answer her questions as to whether she has violated any rules and repeatedly asks her to leave, implying that the event was a private one.
'Ma'am, this is an event that we've paid for, this is an event we've bought the space [for].'
'So, I'm being ejected from a public event?' Bennett asks, before reluctantly following the guard out of the hall.
'I'm going to ask you one more time,' he said.
'Can someone tell me what I did?' Bennett asks as she is being escorted out of the building. 'I need to know what rules I violated.'
But the argument didn't end there.
I am a conservative journalist and was just ejected from a @BernieSanders rally for expressing my 1st amendment. I was just sitting there and was told I had to leave, with no reason given except that his campaign didn't want me there. THIS is actual fascism.
The police officer agreed with me that I did nothing wrong, but booted me anyway. On my way out, the private security officer told me he supports me but has to do his job. Thank you @BernieSanders for exposing how intolerant the left really is towards dissenting opinions. pic.twitter.com/lzFX1s8gjP
Bennett tweeted video of herself being ejected from the Sanders campaign event
Security guards explained to Bennett that the event was a private one and wanted her to leave
Once outside the room she proceeded to quarrel with another security guard.
Although he appeared to be more sympathetic to Bennett's cause, he still asked her to leave the premises.
'It's considered private property and a private event,' the security guard explained.
Bennett and her fiance, Justin, informed him that the town hall was publicized as a public event on the Sanders campaign website.
'This is what I've been told by the campaign staff,' the security guard responded. 'I am following their orders.'
'So you work for the campaign staff?' Bennett asked the security guard.
'We're contracted through them,' he explained. 'I'm just doing what they've asked me to do. I have no control over this. They asked me, they said that they would like you to leave for the day.'
'We are facilitating that because we are contracted by them. I'll have to ask you to please keep walking and keep this as nice as possible,' he said.
Being sent away only saw Bennett go on to rant even more furiously at the 'injustice'
'The police officer agreed with me that I did nothing wrong, but booted me anyway. On my way out, the private security officer told me he supports me but has to do his job. Thank you @BernieSanders for exposing how intolerant the left really is towards dissenting opinions,' Bennett wrote in a second tweet.
While outside, Bennett went on a lengthy rant about being 'discriminated against' because of her affiliations calling the entire situation 'ridiculous.'
'So what we just saw was Bernie Sanders' campaign discriminated against a certain journalist. Those people recognized me,' she said. 'I am a woman journalist and I got ejected from a Bernie Sanders town hall event. I'm not allowed to report on it, I'm not even allowed to listen to Bernie.'
'There's a socialist inside who supports nothing along the lines of private property, but he's going to use it to his advantage to keep people that he doesn't like from asking him some hard questions,' she noted.
When Bennett asked why she couldn't stay and watch, the official said that it was 'invite only'
Bennett pointed out that Sanders' supporters would like her to change her mind about Trump and support Sanders,'But I can't even listen to what Bernie has to say!'
Bennett insists the event was advertised as public on Sanders' campaign website.
'This is a public high school. This is not a private property. This is not a private event,' she repeats.
Some local media reports have suggested that the event, held at Lordstown High School by the American Federation of Teachers, was in fact closed to the public while others have stated it was free and open to all-comers.
The AFT invited Sanders to speak to the members of its Lordstown chapter and as a result would be strictly members only.
Bennett's stunt ended up drawing mixed reactions on Twitter.
Some Conservative commentators called Sanders 'a communist dictator' and said that her being evicted was a 'violation of her First Amendment rights.'
Liberals said her appearance was nothing more than a PR stunt and ridiculed her journalistic credentials.
Bennett made headlines last year and became known as the Kent State Gun Girl for flaunting an AR-10 rifle at her graduation.
Bennett has also shared photos of herself posing with other weapons, and waving a Trump, Make America Great Again flag.
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