Ten college Republicans at the University of Central Missouri are complaining because they were refused admittance to the president’s speech on Wednesday, even though they had tickets to the event. One of the students, Courtney Scott, the State Treasurer of the College Republicans, told The College Fix Security turned them away at the door, telling the group that “it wasn’t about their politics, but for the president’s safety.”
The students, some of whom donned Tea Party T-Shirts and others who wore patriotic or Republican-inspired clothing, had protested the president earlier in the day on campus, but had put away their signs and said they were ready to simply listen to Obama when security shut them down – and even told them to leave the vicinity and stay several hundred yards away from the rec center.
The students had waited in a long line and under the hot sun to wind their way to the front of the line two hours in advance of Obama’s scheduled 5:30 p.m. remarks. Still, they were rejected.
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The students’ protest earlier in the day was a peaceful one, consisting of holding political speech signs and talking to passersby throughout the morning, Scott said. They were asked to protest at the “public speech area” on campus, not anywhere near the rec center. They were not allowed within eyesight or earshot of people who were waiting in line.
The Mizzou Republicans were among about sixty protesters, half of whom were college students, who had voiced concern Wednesday over Obama’s economic policies in the wake of the country’s ongoing recession.
There’s nothing new about a president’s security detail keeping rabble-rousers at bay during presidential events. During the Bush years, Code Pink and other left-wing groups were persona non grata, although they often got through security and protested anyway.
It’s just a sad, sad sign of the times, that a bunch of clean cut kids wearing patriotic clothing – outwardly showing their love of country – would be deemed a threat to this president.Nathan Harden’s helpful tip to college Republicans who hope to attend Obama events in the future, is unfortunately very true:
Odds of admission improve if you wear a Che Guevara t-shirt, an “I Heart Kim Jong Un” campaign button, and/or a ballcap displaying the slogan “Obama Girl” prominently above the brim.
Update:
One of the students barred from attending the speech appeared on Fox News today to talk about it.
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