Aug 7, 2009 1:30 pm US/Central
Health Care Town Hall Meetings Getting Ugly
Hundreds Turn Out For Public Forum In Tampa Shut Out; Scuffles Break Out
Man Attacked At St. Louis Meeting, Six Arrested
TAMPA, Fla. (CBS) ―
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A town hall meeting in Tampa, Fla., on President Obama's health care plan turned ugly Aug. 6, 2009, when more people than could fit in the space showed up.
CBS
Public meetings on health care reform held across the nation have
increasingly been turning into all out shouting matches and some have
even turned violent, resulting in arrests. At a meeting in
Florida, hundreds of attendees scuffled with officials when they were
turned away from the meeting. In Missouri, one man was attacked and
several arrested.
Angry protesters and strong supporters clashed at a health care reform town hall meeting in Tampa, Florida Thursday.
The meeting which was scheduled to begin at 6:00p.m. drew hundreds of people who quickly began to overwhelm staff and event organizers at the front entrance.
As the building filled to capacity and police started denying people entry. Hundreds were locked out of the event at the Children's Board Building and some of them started banging on windows and doors.
The building's maximum capacity is 250,
reports CBS affiliate WTSP-TV in Tampa, but hundreds of people wanted in to the building.
Things got so rowdy that Democratic Congresswoman Kathy Castor and State Representative Betty
Reed, who were hosting the forum, had to cut the event short. Castor had
to be escorted from the building.
Freelance videographer Mark Bishop was on the scene and got rouged up in the melee, with his glasses and camera equipment getting damaged. "That's the most violent anyone has gotten towards me," Bishop said. "Surprising to say the least."
Some argue it was mainly health care reform supporters who were allowed inside the building.
"Everyone's voice should have the right to be heard. And tonight is not a good example of that. People were shut out of tonight's meeting," said protester Andrew Reder.
But others who attended say many where so outspoken it became impossible to have a discussion at all.
"They think they're exercising their right to free speech, but they're only exercising their right to disrupt civil discourse," asserted George Guthrie, a participant in the town hall-style meeting.
It appears a lot wasn't accomplished in the meeting. Amid all the screaming, it doesn't appear anyone was heard/
Police did their best to allow people to speak, but eventually were forced to call the meeting short, ordering everyone go home.
Officials reported that the scuffles resulted in only minor injuries reported. One person can be seen on video with a shirt partially torn off
his body.
At one point, things got so hectic that even journalists were barred from entering the building.
Event organizers, however, say they'll try again. But next time they'll book a much bigger venue where hopefully everyone will get a chance to have their voice heard.
The town hall meeting on health care in Florida is the latest example of how attendees, both for and against President Barack Obama's health care reform, have been becoming increasingly confrontational over the issue.
In St. Louis, Missouri, at least six people were arrested Thursday when a public health care meeting got out of control. One of those arrested was a reporter; two were detained on suspicion of assault; one for resisting arrest; and three for allegedly disturbing the peace, according to
the St. Louis-Dispatch.
From the St. Louis-Dispatch:
Kenneth Gladney, 38, a conservative activist from St. Louis, said he was attacked by some of those arrested as he handed out yellow flags with "Don't tread on me" printed on them. He spoke to the Post-Dispatch from the emergency room at St. John's Mercy Medical Center, where he said he was awaiting treatment for injuries to his knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face. Gladney, who is black, said one of his attackers, also a black man, used a racial slur against him before the attack. "It just seems there's no freedom of speech without being attacked," he said.
A meeting on health care reform organized by U.S. Rep. John Dingell, Michigan Democrat, also turned heated Thursday when shouting matches broke out among attendees.
As Dingell opened the forum, Mike Sola of Milan interrupted the congressman as he pushed his son, Scott, in a wheelchair, to the podium. He said proposed changes wouldn't help Scott and called Dingell a fraud, reports
the Detroit Free Press.
From the Detroit Free Press:
Dingell, D-Dearborn, remained calm as he tried to answer his critics' questions. Dingell told the crowd -- many of whom wouldn't believe it -- that the bill won't pay for abortions. "The government wants to control my body, my health care decisions and the doctors I see," said Christine Wofford, 56, of Canton, who distributed literature from the Liberty Council, a Lynchburg, Va., religious civil rights law firm. The interruptions continued with virtually every question Dingell answered. Many Dingell supporters pleaded, "Let him speak," even as others yelled louder and shouted more.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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