Crashing the Party was Surprisingly Easy, Activists Say

[G_j]

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0904-02.htm

Published on Saturday, September 4, 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle

Crashing the Party was Surprisingly Easy, Activists Say
Convention floor passes snagged from friends of friends of friends

by Anna Badkhen

NEW YORK -- More than 10,000 New York City cops, high-tech weapons and 60 federal agencies kept terrorists from disturbing the Republican convention, but they couldn't stop a few activists from disrupting the events on the convention floor.

Whether they snagged a delegate pass, borrowed a media credential or posed as GOP volunteers, activists easily slipped through multiple ID checks and a metal detector at Madison Square Garden -- including two from the women-led peace group Code Pink who disrupted President Bush's speech Thursday night. Some who attended a tribute to first lady Laura Bush at a Manhattan hotel earlier in the week said security personnel didn't even check their bags.

Secret Service spokeswoman Ann Roman said she did not know how activists got the passes into the convention center. Roman said the activists were arrested because they made "threatening movements" aimed at convention delegates or "said threatening things" about the delegates.

"They were apparently causing a disruption," she said.

..more..

[Ready4Change]

1. They weren't carrying guns.

Or big knives, so there was nothing for a metal detector to react to. ID checks were probably just badge checks, so that's easy too. To stop someone who might want to yell something you don't agree with takes some kind of thoughts check, which don't really exist.

I suspect it might have been a surprise for many Bush campaigners, as so many of his campaign speeches have been to tightly controlled. For some this might have been the first sign that someone disagrees with him at all.

[lapfog_1]

2. It's wasn't hard to get badges and passes

Which tells me right away that Rove WANTED them there.

He wanted the TV audience to see the "libral whackjobs"
demonstrating and disrupting. More "red meat" to the conservative
base, something for the "silent majority" (most of whom are not
that sympathetic to aids activists) to witness.

I'm convinced this was a plant.

The only counter-evidence was that Chimpy didn't have an pre-planned
one liner (off the cuff) at the ready. A Reagan like "There you
go again". I thought for sure he would have one. Course, it's
not like Chimpy could act as if he just thought of one. So maybe
they thought better of it.

[w4rma]

3. Nah. It's just that Republicans are all talk. They cant even secure their

own convention hall. They are totally incompitant in all matters except PR.

[realFedUp]

4. No box cutters either

I guess just some horny guys wanting to
impress some gals with their largesse....
works every time.