Thousands of John McCain and Sarah Palin supporters gathered to see the Republican vice presidential nominee speak at the Home Depot Center’s tennis court in Carson, Calif. on Saturday.
The crowd gave impressions of renewed Republican enthusiasm following Thursday’s vice presidential debate.
Palin was set to speak at 6 p.m., but hopeful attendees, armed with megaphones, began lining up as early as 8 a.m. By noon, the line of participants had stretched around the entire Home Depot Center.
“We expected 10,000 people,” said Sergio Carrillo, regional director for the Californian Democratic Party. “The stadium’s already filled to capacity … but they just keep coming.”
The crowd was a blur of red, white and blue as Republican supporters shouted, “Sarah Palin,” with Democratic protestors answering back in cadence, “Sucks.” Republican feminists wore T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan, “This little piggy’s going to office!”
Some supporters using megaphones referred to their competitors as “Hussein lovers,” and children holding Sarah Palin signs twice their size marched alongside their parents.
Actor Jon Voight made an appearance to show support for the Republican Party. He signed autographs, took pictures and did a few interviews with a crowd of well-wishers behind him holding up signs like, “Vote McCain if you believe in God.” When Democratic protestors decided to jump in on the photo-op, Voight demanded they leave.
One protestor exchanged words with Voight.
“What I was telling him was that we all have a right to stand behind him [in the line] and that it’s not right for them to just kick out the Democrats,” said Gregory Rangel, a senior political science major and member of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity at Cal State Long Beach. “He was pretty pissed about that. He stood and pointed his finger at me and got his security staff to cover us up with huge McCain posters.”
The CSULB Women’s Studies Student Association (WSSA), the Feminist Organization Reclaiming Consciousness and Equality (FORCE) and Cease Animal Torture (CAT) were out in full force and costume.
Laura Aguirre, a sophomore journalism major, dressed as “The Vagina.” According to Aguirre, the costume represented the notion that “women do not vote with their vaginas.”
Aguirre’s controversial costume prompted one security guard to stop her, saying the costume was beyond offensive and that she should be more respectful because of the children.
Marina Wood and Alaina Chamberlain, senior women’s studies majors and executive board members of WSSA, dressed up in costume. Wood, dressed as Palin, held a sign saying, “I can see Russia from my house” in one hand and a fake rifle in the other. Laughter erupted from both sides of the crowd as she chased Chamberlain in a polar bear costume. Wood pretended to shoot Chamberlain down in reference to Palin trying to remove polar bears from the endangered species list.
“Our group advocates the fair treatment of all animals and Palin’s behavior should not be tolerated,” said Joe Ferraro, sophomore
chemistry major and CAT member.
“We’re just here to represent the wolves, polar bears and whales that Palin has written policies to kill,” said Micha Scott, senior international studies major and CAT member. “I’m not here to represent CAT, I’m here as a vegan, as [a] concerned citizen for our environment.”
As the day wore on, tension increased on both sides. Security increased as the groups began to argue and snatch signs, each side yelling, “Shame on you!”
One Palin supporter yelled, “Go back to Africa!” to a group of black students from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Protestors shouted back, “Racists!”
The president of CSULB’s Conservative Student Union (CSU), Jason Aula, planned a counter-protest with hopes of getting at least 10 to 15 members to represent CSU. Aula didn’t attend the event but said there was at least one CSU member there, who was unavailable for comment.
Students protest Palin in Carson
Published: Monday, October 6, 2008
Updated: Monday, October 6, 2008
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16 comments
Night O :
I spoke with him today and he said he JUST found out that more CSU members attended. I'm truly sorry for the mix-up and it wasn't my intention to under-represent Republican students at CSULB who attended the protest.
Hopefully the Daily 49er will print a retraction ( :
Thank you,
Aarika Carter