Sanders calls for party unity, but some of his backers are still angry.

PHILADELPHIA — Sen. Bernie Sanders sought to unify his loyal and frustrated supporters behind Hillary Clinton during a prime-time speech Monday night at the Democratic National Convention that followed an outdoor afternoon rally in stifling heat.

But the first day of this year’s DNC showed that distrust, division and even anger remain among many Sanders diehards, including his delegates from Tennessee, where Clinton won big in the Democratic primary in March.

From the opening gavel of the convention Monday, Sanders delegates expressed dissatisfaction from the floor. Many booed during the opening invocation after a pastor expressed her support for Clinton, and more jeers came from Sanders backers during the early part of the evening each time a speaker called on Democrats to elect Clinton in November.

Still, a majority of those in the crowd cheered for the presumptive nominee when she was mentioned. Tennessee was not among the delegations with large, rowdy packs of Sanders loyalists.

Supporters of the senator from Vermont had a variety of chants, including “Election fraud,” “This is not what democracy looks like,” and “Wikileaks!”

The latter was a reference to recently leaked emails from the organization — which has published sensitive information on a variety of topics — that showed favoritism for Clinton in her primary fight against Sanders. The emails prompted the resignation of Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who relinquished her gavel duties to Rep. Marcia Fudge, D-Ohio.

Clinton, a former U.S. secretary of state, is relying on support from Sanders loyalists in her November race against Republican Donald Trump.

But Kristy Douglas, 27, a Sanders delegate from Jasper, Tennessee, said she is unsure whether she will vote for Clinton in November, though she also made clear she wouldn’t vote for Trump.

She was among those at a Monday afternoon rally of approximately 1,900 in Philadelphia who participated in a chorus of boos when the Vermont senator praised Clinton.

“We (feel) like it’s still not over yet,” Douglas said. She noted several pending lawsuits pertaining to the primary process, uncounted ballots in California, the latest email scandal and Clinton’s vice presidential pick, Sen. Tim Kaine, whom she called “unprogressive.”

“I don’t think Hillary wants our support, and she’s not going to get it,” Douglas said. “There’s a lot of angry people out there that feel this was stolen from us.”

Laurie Dworak, a 52-year-old Sanders delegate from Chattanooga, was not among the Sanders supporters who booed during Monday’s rally. But she said she understands why some did, likening their expression to booing the coach of an opposing football team.

She says she will vote for Clinton in the general election. She predicted that the majority of her fellow Sanders supporters would eventually back Clinton as well.

“It’s more an expression of frustration,” Dworak said of the booing. “Nobody wants to lose, and right now it feels as if we’ve lost.

“When the coach mentions the opposing team, you’re going to boo,” she said.

In response to the leaked emails, the DNC issued an apology to Sanders on Monday for what it called “inexcusable remarks made over email.”

That didn’t quell the unrest from Sanders supporters, particularly as the convention got underway.

Fudge, the acting chair of the party, was among those booed as she greeted the delegates.

“Excuse me, excuse me,” she said, trying to quiet the uproar. She later added, “We are all Democrats!”

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairwoman Mary Mancini said Democrats will have no trouble rallying to beat Trump. She said the purpose of the convention is to advance ideas and show support for one’s candidate.

“It was pretty raucous, but it was expected,” Mancini said. “This was a tough primary for Hillary Clinton. There are people here who are just diehard Bernie supporters.

“We’ll get through this and come out the other side and be united,” she said. “There might be some Bernie folks that may not vote for Hillary Clinton, but I think the good majority of them will.”