--- description: The protestors interrupted Biden during an answer about his wife and his daughter dying in a car accident. title: Here's What Protesters Were Shouting at Joe Biden During the Third Democratic Debate image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte49c45e21b1867b9/698a02d6656a3fb821bd8ea9/protesters-at-democratic-debate-daca.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Politics](/section/politics/) ## Politics Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [2020 Presidential Election](/tag/2020-presidential-election/) ## 2020 Presidential Election Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Here's What Protesters Were Shouting at Joe Biden During the Third Democratic Debate  by [Madeleine Carlisle](/author/madeleine-carlisle/)  ## Madeleine Carlisle Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 13, 2019 3:30 AM CUT  Protesters are escorted out of the auditorium by security during the Democratic Presidential Debate at Texas Southern University's Health and PE Center on September 12, 2019 in Houston, Texas. Protesters are escorted out of the auditorium by security during the Democratic Presidential Debate at Texas Southern University's Health and PE Center on September 12, 2019 in Houston, Texas.Win McNamee—Getty Images  by [Madeleine Carlisle](/author/madeleine-carlisle/)  ## Madeleine Carlisle Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Sep 13, 2019 3:30 AM CUT During the [third Democratic presidential primary debate](https://time.com/5676343/democratic-debate-live/ "undefined"), protestors interrupted former Vice President [Joe Biden](https://time.com/tag/joe-biden/ "undefined") 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 "undefined") 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. In July, protestors interrupted CNN’s debate in Detroit by protests about immigration and the New York City police department. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5676640/biden-protesters-democratic-debate/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5676640/biden-protesters-democratic-debate/"},"headline":"Here's What Protesters Were Shouting at Joe Biden During the Third Democratic Debate","datePublished":"2019-09-13T03:30:12.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T07:21:55.496Z","description":"The protestors interrupted Biden during an answer about his wife and his daughter dying in a car accident","url":"https://time.com/5676640/biden-protesters-democratic-debate/","keywords":["2020 Presidential Election","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte49c45e21b1867b9/698a02d6656a3fb821bd8ea9/protesters-at-democratic-debate-daca.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Madeleine Carlisle","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/madeleine-carlisle/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte49c45e21b1867b9/698a02d6656a3fb821bd8ea9/protesters-at-democratic-debate-daca.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"protesters at democratic debate daca","caption":"protesters-at democratic debate daca","creditText":"Win McNamee—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2020-presidential-election/","name":"2020 Presidential Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5676640/biden-protesters-democratic-debate/","name":"Here's What Protesters Were Shouting at Joe Biden During the Third Democratic Debate"}}]}] ```