TheShocking Image

This story is from my days working at the Minnesota State Republican Party.

I didn't think Minnesota had Republicans.

Around February of last year, Newt Gingrich visisted Minnesota for a Republican fundraiser. Since I worked for the Republican party, I got to work on the security team (not the secret service) at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

Newt Gingrich and Minnesota... I can't wait to hear this one :)

When things were still getting set up, the head of security and myself were walking around, double-checking everything. I then saw the beginning of a very long morning.

Newt?

Two of the protestors from outside had gotten inside without tickets. It didn't really bother me because there were also four Minneapolis policemen helping out. The only problem was they were nowhere to be found. we made our way over to the two men and asked them to leave.

Did they listen?

Of course they ignored us and continued to sing some chant about Newt and Bob Dole... Finally the policemen came out from god-knows-where and told the men that if they were going to be inside, that they should buy a ticket. The men agreed and left the building quietly.

Boy... That sounds horrible.

When we saw everything was under control we thought we'd go tell the other security people what a great job we did by holding off the protestors until the calvary arrived. Just as we were lighting up our victory cigars, I spotted about sixty senior citizens from the fucking Senior Citizens Coalition march in and block the entrance to the High Dollar room (tickets started at $1,000.00). We panicked and ran for the police assistance. Four policemen can do quite a number on two guys... but fifty Senior Citizens? I didn't know what we were going to do. The T.V. stations were all over us like flies on **** so we couldn't do anything to them.

You know... You probably shouldn't beat up on senior citizens.

The police had their hands full, and their was nothing more I could do. So I just stood there and watched.

Way to go!

Things were calming down, but their was still no progress. One of the Capital Policemen (Newt's secret service guys) told us Newt was going to arrive shortly.

Newt has his own secret service guys?

We were only causing more problems for the police by harassing the Senior Citizen protestors, so we thought we'd get ready to meet the Speaker. On my way inside the ballroom, someone had pushed their way past a security guard and opened one of the doors (the security guard did nothing because he was under the impression two Minneapolis policemen were standing just outside the door... wrong!). I don't know exactly how this happened, but there were about 70-80 Hmong protestors waiting right outside the door (they had somehow gotten in while I had walked in the other way).

You security guards were doing a great job.

These Hmong protestors - many of them disabled, flooded into the ballroom. I was completely caught off guard. We had to think fast, so we linked arms and held the protestors to a corner. By this time, the audience was very upset these people had broken in... some of them even took the liberty of throwing some of the smaller protestors out the doors. My job then turned into protecting the protestors from the audience. What a mess.

When we finally got the crowd back in their seats, on of the policemen had made his way to the leader of the Hmong revolution and threatened to start arresting them if they didn't leave.

I'm guessing they didn't.

Of course they didn't leave, so the policeman started handcuffing some of them... which they did not like. This caused major problems, especially because we were outnumbered almost 10 to 1. Some of the protestors actually started hitting me and trying to push me over. So the rest of the security guards and myself held hands and herded the protestors out the doors. Once outside they were very upset and got violent. When one of the doors was opened, I saw one of the Hmongs get maced... when I got home after the event, I saw that same image on the news. I know the guy who got maced was also arrested, I also know he didn't speak english and didn't even know who Newt Gingrich was. I don't know why those people were there, but I know the guy who got maced won't be protesting about something he doesn't know about for a while.

You had me right until the end.

Sincerely,

Michael R.

Vote Republican so we can mace EVERY protestor in America.