"These leftists are tough negotiators," Sanders reportedly told an aide. They even told me if I don't give in to their demands, my entire rally crowd will go on strike. "One member of the traveling rally crowd confirmed the threat. "We won't sit here and be treated like peasants," said Geoff Talbot, a paid Bernie supporter since 2016. "We've been slaving away for Bernie for years, and it's time for us to get what we deserve.