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dam-l Protesters Occupy Gore Campaign Office
Reuters
Monday, July 10, 2000
Protesters Occupy Gore Campaign Office
KNOXVILLE Tenn., (Reuters) -- Environmental protesters took over Vice
President Al Gore's East Tennessee campaign office Monday, chaining
themselves together for about three hours before leaving peacefully.
"They just walked in, sat down and locked themselves together," said Wade
Till, chairman of the Knox County Democratic Party, from the
Democratic presidential candidate's Knoxville office.
No one was arrested, a police spokeswoman said.
The occupation came just weeks before Republicans and Democrats hold their
presidential nominating conventions, events expected to draw thousands of
activists and protesters.
"It's quite ugly right now," said Petie Wilson, owner of a nearby State Farm
insurance office. "They are chanting, screaming and hollering, beating
drums."
The scene was quite different inside Gore's office.
"We're getting along fine," Till said.
When the office opened at 10 a.m. four women entered and linked themselves
together with a motorcycle chain and several bicycle locks, Till said.
At the same time, witnesses said about 100 others moved in front of the
two-story building's entrance and at least two more barricaded
themselves on the roof with a banner that said, "The president is for hire."
The activist protesters said they represented several groups who have
campaigned on a wide variety of issues over the past year, including
protests against the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary
Fund, and for protecting the environment.
The protesters agreed to leave the office at 1 p.m.
"I did this because I feel it's important to expose the fact that the
two-party system doesn't work," explained one of the chained women, Leigh
Scherberger, 23. She plans to protest at the Republican convention in
Philadelphia during the first week of August.