NewSanders supporters boo him as he urges them to vote for Clinton at Democratic convention

Bernie Sanders on Monday urged his supporters to back Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in her White House bid, drawing jeers and shouts of “We want Bernie” in a show of discord as the party kicked off its national convention.

The boos underscored the deeply felt anger his convention delegates feel at both Clinton’s win and embarrassing emails leaked on Friday suggesting the party leadership had worked to sabotage Sanders’ campaign for the nomination.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz resigned as party chairwoman on Sunday, a day before the start of the Philadelphia convention to formally nominate Clinton for the November 8 election, and on Monday she bowed to pressure and agreed not to open the convention.

Speaking to his supporters, Sanders savaged Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, calling him a danger to the future of the country who “must be defeated,” but some in the room booed when he said “we have got to elect Hillary Clinton” and her vice presidential running mate, US Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. He was due to deliver a speech to the full convention later Monday.

Sanders, a US senator from Vermont, tried to calm them down. “Brothers and sisters, this is the real world that we live in,” he said, adding, “Trump is a bully and a demagogue.”

Members of the crowd started screaming back: “So is Hillary.”