Protesters Hope To Stop Traffic On Ben Franklin Bridge
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Latest on protests on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (all times local):
11:20 a.m.
Democratic National Convention protesters are gathering on the New Jersey side of a bridge leading to Philadelphia, preparing to march across it and possibly shut down traffic.
Busloads of activists are expected to march Monday across the Ben Franklin Bridge, most of them supporters of former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Organizer Gary Frazier says if the crowd is big enough, they'll try to shut down traffic on the bridge.
Frazier says the goal is to get the convention to nominate Sanders for president. He says if that doesn't happen, there will be a push to withdraw Sanders supporters from the Democratic Party.
Sanders has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president.
Sanders supporters are angry over hacked emails that reveal the DNC might have favored Clinton over Sanders during the party's presidential primaries.
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10 a.m.
Protesters are gearing up outside Philadelphia's City Hall for a long, hot day of marches and rallies on the opening day of the Democratic National Convention.
Members of Equality Coalition, which supports the beliefs of former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders and Green Party candidate Jill Stein, are arranging to have hundreds of spray bottles filled with water to hand out to protesters. They're also preparing buckets full of ice and towels to help overheated marchers cool off.
The National Weather Service says temperatures will hover in the mid- to upper-90s on Monday. With humidity, it will feel more like 105 degrees.
Organizer Jenni Kelleher says she marched Sunday when temperatures were in the high 90s. She doesn't think the heat will keep protesters away.
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8:15 a.m.
After some early morning thunderstorms, the heat wave that's been steaming Philadelphia ahead of the Democratic National Convention is set to reach its peak.
The National Weather Service says temperatures will hover in the mid- to upper-90s on Monday, the first day of the convention. With humidity, it will feel more like 105 degrees.
Protester Tony Schuster is staying at a campground in New Jersey. The Bernie Sanders supporter from Michigan says despite all the thunder, it didn't rain too heavily there. He says campground conditions are good and it's not too muddy. Mostly, he says, it's just hot.
The city is under an excessive heat warning until 6 p.m.
Sanders is due to deliver Monday's closing address at the convention, where Hillary Clinton will receive the formal nomination for president.
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12:30 a.m.
The Democratic National Convention gets underway in Philadelphia on Monday.
The city is preparing for much bigger demonstrations than the Republican convention last week in Cleveland, and much higher temperatures.
In one of the largest rallies planned for the day, a pro-Bernie Sanders group is expected to walk across the Ben Franklin Bridge, which connects Camden, New Jersey, and Philadelphia.
The demonstrations, largely driven by Sanders supporters, have been peaceful, so far.
On Sunday, several protests were held around the city.
Volunteers will be handing out water all week to demonstrators as the region copes with an oppressive heat wave. The National Weather Service says it will hit a peak on Monday with temperatures in the city possibly reaching 100 degrees, but feeling like 108.
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