2016 U.S. presidential election
Main article: United States presidential election, 2016
Bern Machine with a BLM sticker, September 18, 2015
Primaries
Democrats
At the Netroots Nation Conference in July 2015, dozens of Black Lives Matter activists took over the stage at an event featuring Martin O'Malley and Bernie Sanders. Activists, including Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors, asked both candidates for specific policy proposals to address deaths in police custody.[158] The protesters chanted several slogans, including "if I die in police custody, burn everything down". After conference organizers pleaded with the protesters for several minutes, O'Malley responded by pledging to release a wide-ranging plan for criminal justice reform. Protesters later booed O'Malley when he stated "Black lives matter. White lives matter. All lives matter."[159] O'Malley later apologized for his remarks, saying that he did not mean to disrespect the black community.[159]