Occupy Protesters Surround Santorum and Family After Final New Hampshire Pitch
EmailMANCHESTER, NH — Rick Santorum had his final rally tonight before Granite Staters start voting Tuesday morning in the first-in-the-nation primary.
Supporters and press mobbed the candidate as he made his way around the packed restaurant and bar here. As he exited his final primary eve event, he was surrounded by a mix of protesters from the Occupy movement and Ron Paul supporters.
As he walked out of Jillian’s in downtown Manchester, his staff surrounded him and the protesters tried to form a circle around the former Pennsylvania senator. They chanted, “Bigot, bigot!” and “Shame, shame!” as he made his way to his car.
Police and security were on hand and during the crush one member of the candidate’s entourage got shoved to the ground, as did one of the protesters.
Santorum smiled as he walked the short distance from the restaurant, but a serious scuffle ensued, and his wife Karen had a frightened look on her face. Two of his children Elizabeth and Daniel followed closely behind. His other children, including his 3-year-old daughter Bella, who has a rare genetic condition, are already in South Carolina.
Just minutes before, he gave his closing pitch to supporters, telling them this may be his “ending rally” in New Hampshire, but promised to be back “in the fall as the nominee.”
“This is your moment,” he told New Hampshire voters, before railing into the president.
“If Barack Obama is re-elected, America as we know it will be gone,” Santorum said. “We will be a country that is no longer independent.”
He asked supporters to “go out and vote for someone” who believes in the state motto, “Live Free or Die.”
“This president does not believe and establishment Republicans don’t believe much of it either,” Santorum told the crowd of about 150. “‘You are the ‘Live Free or Die’ state; tomorrow prove it. Go out and vote for someone who believes in that motto … and you will shake up not just this country but this world.”
He told the crowd a “huge surprise” here Tuesday night will “give us that boast to show the momentum so that we can go down to South Carolina, kick a little butt down in South Carolina, move on to Florida and keep kicking until we have a strong principled conservative in the model of Ronald Reagan to be able to draw that strong contrast.”
He said earlier today that he would be “ecstatic” with a number two place Tuesday, but polling has both Mitt Romney and Ron Paul ahead of him here.
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If you ‘Live Free Or Die’, you vote for Dr. Ron Paul. He is the only one with the message of liberty. This cannot be denied.
Posted by: Ron Paul 2012 | January 9, 2012, 11:28 pm 11:28 pm
If only these protestors were on the internet; then Santorum could censor them.
Maybe he should ask Obama to indefinitely detain them instead.
Posted by: Jay | January 9, 2012, 11:43 pm 11:43 pm
I’m not sure about these two postings, but isn’t this about a group of crude and rude people harassing a family trying to participate in our electoral process? Classless. And wasn’t it yesterday that Occupy Oakland tantrum throwers were arrested for throwing more than tantrums. I believe it was bricks through police car windows, yeah, that’s what they were throwing. And carrying explosives, too. This is a stark example of the differences between “Occupy” groups, and the Tea Party. The latter are law-abiding citizens who do not scream at children, nor get arrested, or trespass on private property. I have a friend, a liberal, who I asked about “occupy” in its infancy. He claimed it was a perfect example of freedom of speech, stating it was very similar to the Tea Party. I’ve watched the Occupy experiment from its beginning, and it’s ugly. Many, many examples of vandalism, intimidation, trespass, and anarchy exist, not to mention the huge costs on cities and the burden placed on law enforcement. There is no comparison. The Tea Party’ers are more educated, and I have a feeling they’ll show up and vote. They can see the obvious peril the country is facing. I see it. Rick Santorum sees it. Obama must be stopped before freedom slips away.
And for the Ron Paul 2012 guy? Ron Paul’s isolationist views will create havoc on national security. He can’t be taken seriously. And he won’t assure Americans that he won’t run on a third-party ticket. The question has been asked, but he refuses to state that he will not run on a third-party platform. In case you don’t understand this: This could become Ross Perot all over again. If Paul goes third-party, all of his sheep will back him. This will be a noble gesture, but he won’t have a chance of winning. And that will seal Obama’s victory by taking away votes from his Republican opponent. Ron Paul has an ego big enough to consider giving the election to Obama, on principle. Why don’t you Ron Paul people consider this? I mean, put down the Koolaid, snap out of it, and confront him on this issue. I know you all mean well.
One other thing: Mark Levin is right.
Posted by: dbright | January 10, 2012, 3:11 am 3:11 am
Who wrote this article? I see nothing pointing toward the “Occupy” movement. When I hear “Bigot” it more makes me believe it was another organization. The headline skimmed over the Ron Paul protesters. Hey ABC, is this an unsubstantiated “dig” against the “occupy” movement? Are you trying to pass-off Ron Paul atackers as “Occupy” protesters? I read the headline, then, the article, and I see no evidence of OWS involvement. POSSIBLY, the NAACP, but, nothing pointing toward OWS.
Posted by: arryandan | January 10, 2012, 9:06 am 9:06 am
That’s what you should expect when you’re part of the ruling elite in America.
Posted by: tadcf | January 10, 2012, 9:15 am 9:15 am
@DBRIGHT: It specifically says both Occupy AND Paul protesters, so it seems clear they saw both identified here. Either way, none of the candidates are deserving of this especially when with their families.
Posted by: Texmom | January 10, 2012, 10:29 am 10:29 am
OWS has no shame, they’re bums who want free govt money.
Posted by: Whitehouse Janitor | January 10, 2012, 1:31 pm 1:31 pm
OWS has no shame, they’re bums who want free govt money.
Posted by: Whitehouse Janitor | January 10, 2012, 1:31 pm.
No, that would be Wall Street itself, who got bailed out with loans at 0.01%, then turned around and loaned our government our own money at 3% interest.
Posted by: A Cynic | January 10, 2012, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
As opposed to the unions who took the money, did not pay it back, then ask for an Obamacare waiver.
Posted by: fiasco | January 11, 2012, 12:04 am 12:04 am
I am disappointed that this story doesn’t show the entire truth. And that is that RON PAUL SUPPORTERS in RON PAUL Sweat shirts JOINED #OWS in tormenting and terrifying the Santorum family (which included 2 of his children). RON PAUL, His BOTJERKS, & OWS is a DISGRACE to HUMANITY!
Posted by: debrarae | January 18, 2012, 10:01 am 10:01 am