CODEPINK Protesters Interrupt RNC (Raw Video)
Video captured by The Young Turks shows three protesters; Tighe Barry, Medea Benjamin, CODEPINK Co-founder (
http://twitter.com/medeabenjamin), Rae Abileah, CODEPINK Co-director (
http://twitter.com/raeabileah)
thrown out of the 2012 Republican National Convention in Tampa. At least one appears to have been arrested in an alleged assault. Also, an officer attempted to confiscate the phone used to make this recording.
Description of Events
- three protesters, one male, two females stood up holding signs and yelling "democracy is not a business"
- immediately the protesters were booed and pushed around, I saw the man pushed over
- they then escorted them out the building, as they were being escorted out they were screaming "democracy is not a business"
- as they escorted the second person out I heard someone say over my shoulder "we need help out here"
- I then went out and saw them arresting the male protester, the officer was telling him he was being arrested for assault, the man was arguing that he didn't assault anyone, that "they pushed him over"
- then one of the guards turned around, pointed at me and said "get that camera phone right there"
- I immediately turned my phone off, as I was going back in to leave I passed a man carrying a baby (who didn't appear to be harmed) and a security guard saying "this is the baby."
If anyone can identify the man being arrested in this video please tweet that information to @aaronwysocki or @tytmedia