By Deirdre Fulton / Common Dreams

Democracy Now! via YouTube

Former CIA director and defense secretary Leon Panetta’s speech at the Democratic National Convention on Wednesday night was interrupted by chants of “No more war!”

According to news reports, as Panetta dug into Hillary Clinton rival Donald Trump, delegates from Oregon, California, and Washington state broke into cries of “No more war!” and “Lies!”

ABC News reported: “Other groups around the arena began chanting ‘Hillary!’ More chants of ‘Love Not War!’ and ‘No More Drones!’ broke out before being swallowed by ‘USA!’ from most of the arena.”

The Hill noted that “Panetta appeared rattled by the interruptions and unsure how to proceed. As Panetta continued to speak, the lights were dimmed over the sections of Sanders supporters, an apparent effort to silence them.”

Alex Shephard wrote at the New Republic:

Panetta—who, it’s worth pointing out, threw President Obama under the bus in his memoir two years ago—represents the hawkish wing of the Democratic Party, which Bernie Sanders and his supporters vehemently oppose. As director of the CIA and secretary of defense, Panetta oversaw the country’s forever war in two countries and a drone program that resulted in the deaths of hundreds of civilians. It’s unclear if the protesters were responding to these specific policies or just Panetta himself, but it’s clear that he might not have been the best choice for a prime-time speaker’s slot.

ThinkProgress spoke with some of the protesters, who “said they targeted Panetta because of his position as the former leader of the military.”

“Why do we need to be in perpetual warfare?” Micheal Baca, a 24-year-old Marine Corps veteran from Colorado, asked ThinkProgress.

But California delegate Alesa Byers told the publication that other delegates around her were hostile toward her and the other protesters. “I don’t understand how being pro-peace is anti-Hillary,” she said. “They’re just pissed off that we’re saying something.”

The disruption also earned condemnation from some liberal media commentators, including MSNBC correspondent Joy Reid, who said the protesters’ action was “embarrassing” and “shameful.”

But the protesters had defenders on social media:

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#anti-war#bernie sanders#cia#democratic national convention#dnc#election#glenn greenwald#hillary clinton#leon panetta#president#protest#usa