--- title: What Protesters at the Democratic Debate Were Saying description: The protestors interrupted Biden during an answer about his wife and his daughter dying in a car accident. canonical: https://time.com/5676640/biden-protesters-democratic-debate/ author: Madeleine Carlisle article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-09-13T03:30:12.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-14T08:27:58.321Z article:section: Politics og:title: Here's What Protesters Were Shouting at Joe Biden During the Third Democratic Debate og:description: The protestors interrupted Biden during an answer about his wife and his daughter dying in a car accident og:url: https://time.com/5676640/biden-protesters-democratic-debate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte49c45e21b1867b9/698a02d6656a3fb821bd8ea9/protesters-at-democratic-debate-daca.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: protesters at democratic debate daca og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's What Protesters Were Shouting at Joe Biden During the Third Democratic Debate twitter:description: The protestors interrupted Biden during an answer about his wife and his daughter dying in a car accident twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte49c45e21b1867b9/698a02d6656a3fb821bd8ea9/protesters-at-democratic-debate-daca.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's What Protesters Were Shouting at Joe Biden During the Third Democratic Debate > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=87fac43d-c983-4a34-a6e3-bb831781a7ef&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Protestors Interrupt Joe Biden During His Closing Remarks During Third 2020 Presidential Debate [Watch (HLS stream): Protestors Interrupt Joe Biden During His Closing Remarks During Third 2020 Presidential Debate](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/NAZ1sqyT.m3u8) (0:57)  _Published 2019-09-13. Protestors Interrupt Joe Biden During His Closing Remarks During Third 2020 Presidential Debate_  by [Madeleine Carlisle](https://time.com/author/madeleine-carlisle/)  ## Madeleine Carlisle Sep 13, 2019 3:30 AM UTC  by [Madeleine Carlisle](https://time.com/author/madeleine-carlisle/)  ## Madeleine Carlisle Sep 13, 2019 3:30 AM UTC During the [third Democratic presidential primary debate](https://time.com/5676343/democratic-debate-live/), protestors interrupted former Vice President [Joe Biden](https://time.com/tag/joe-biden/) as he was about to answer a question about how a significant setback shaped him. To viewers at home, it was not immediately clear what the protestors were saying. But Jess Davidson, executive director of the advocacy organization End Rape on Campus, confirmed to TIME that the group was chanting about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). Davidson also [tweeted](https://twitter.com/DavidsonJess22/status/1172337769751793664) that the protestors were chanting “we are DACA recipients. Our lives are at risk.” She also wrote that at least some protesters got on the stage. > [](https://twitter.com/DavidsonJess22/status/1172337111258648581) Davidson told TIME via Twitter that she was “in the front row of the side stand near them and watched them be escorted out.” Another person also tweeted a video of a man wearing a shirt that read “Defend DACA, Abolish ICE, citizenship for all” being escorted out of the debate. > [](https://twitter.com/CamilleLasin/status/1172343927921397761) Hunter Schwarz, a reporter for Yello Zine, also tweeted photos of protestors being removed. > [](https://twitter.com/hunterschwarz/status/1172344769567084544) The protestors interrupted Biden right as he was about to discuss the death of his wife and daughter in a tragic car crash. Some people on Twitter labeled the move insensitive — or at the very least incredibly poor timing. > [](https://twitter.com/eugenegu/status/1172336902290042880) > [](https://twitter.com/IsaacDovere/status/1172335881358725120) > [](https://twitter.com/randimarshall/status/1172336427721379842) This is the second time protestors have interrupted a presidential primary debate. 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