----- Original Message ----- From: Congressional Quarterly To: convention at lists.cq.com Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 11:13 AM Subject: [Bulk] CQ Today at the Convention snip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Protests Scuffle on Floor Interrupts Bush’s Chief of Staff
About a half dozen protesters provoked a brief but noisy struggle with convention security officials just before noon today after interrupting a speech by White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card Jr.
Despite heavy security inside and around Madison Square Garden, the protesters managed to slip onto the convention floor and sat in the Wisconsin section, just steps from the stage where Card was speaking.
President Bush’s daughters, Jenna and Barbara Bush, introduced Card as part of a a special event for young Republicans. Shortly after Card began speaking, one protester blew a whistle, and the group stood up. They stripped off business attire they had donned to help get past security, revealing T-shirts with slogans decrying Bush policies on HIV/AIDS and international debt relief, and began chanting, “Bush lies, people die.”
Dozens of young Republicans from Wisconsin were sitting around the group of protesters, and the GOP faithful stood up to loudly cheer “four more years,” wave pro-Bush signs and do whatever they could to drown out the protesters. Some young Republicans scuffled with the protesters, and at least one GOP youth said he was hit.
Card barely missed a beat, pausing to say, “Thank you, thank
you.”
Numerous reporters and television cameramen quickly converged around the melee, making it difficult for security officials to reach the scene. Once there, security officers dragged the protesters out of the convention hall. As they were being hauled down a flight of stairs, one young Republican yanked a plastic whistle from the mouth of one of the protesters.
One protester said he was a member of the group ActUp.
Afterwards, some of the young Republicans said that just moments before the ruckus erupted, the protesters had mingled freely on the floor, falsely professing their fondness for Bush.
“We’re trying to sort things out,” said Secret Service spokeswoman Ann Roman. “Some people are currently being detained and interviewed.”
When asked whether the incident might prompt changes in security procedure, Roman replied, “Our security plan is set and in place. ...We’re there to provide a safe and secure environment. Everyone is going through security check points.”
— CQ Staff snip~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`