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Video: Occupy DC Protesters Invade CPAC 2012 Hotel, Ejected By Police

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by Tommy Christopher | 5:18 pm, February 10th, 2012

» 32 comments

On day two of the Conservative Political Action Conference, Occupy DC created a few disturbances. A group of several hundred protesters tried to advance on the Marriott Wardman Park hotel, but were turned away by police, who also threatened to arrest Slate’s Dave Weigel. A bit later, a group of about 20 Occupiers managed to crash the hotel, chanting “We are the 99%!”

They were quickly removed by police and hotel security, to heckling from CPAC attendees.

There was chatter all day, at CPAC, that Occupy protesters would make a move on the conference, with several false alarms. Then, at around 1pm, a group of several hundred protesters showed up, but were prevented from advancing onto the hotel grounds by a relatively small contingent of police. The police initially tried to keep conference attendees and reporters away from the protesters, threatening arrests, as Slate’s Dave Weigel reports:

At the moment the video cuts out, you’ll notice the cop grabbing his handcuffs and walking towards me. A second later he reached me and said “I already warned you once.” He dangled the handcuffs about a foot from my face. “Do you want to go to jail?” I told him that I hope he’d have a nice day. If he was successful, this Occupy protest and another protest at 5 would be pure, ignored sideshows.

I heard that Weigel had gotten jacked up by the police, but by the time I got out there, they were allowing the media to mingle with the protesters (including the agitated but adorable canine Occupier at the end of the video below).

About half an hour later, I was in the hotel’s Harry’s Pub, looking for a friend, when a group of about 20 Occupy protesters busted into the restaurant chanting “We are the 99%!”

They were quickly turned away by hotel security, and rerouted to an exit, where police escorted them off of the property, to heckling from the CPAC attendees. Here’s exclusive video of the confrontation:

More protests are planned for this weekend, and many conference attendees have been speaking conspiratorially about how the protesters are probing the conference for weaknesses.

CPAC Notes:

I spent a few minutes at Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney‘s speech to see how he handled the “lion’s den” that the media kept insisting he was walking into. Instead, he got a rousing, convincing standing ovation from the crowd. Either they’re “falling in line” behind Romney, or they’re putting on a good show to confound the media (whose attentions they are well aware of).

However, I also spent about an hour at a meet and greet for Sen. Rick Santorum, who drew a huge crowd for pics and autographs. Setting aside his hard-right positions, and perceptions about his electability, Santorum has phenomenal retail politicking skills. He was personable and patient with the crush of admirers. At one point, his campaign staff began to rush things along, but Santorum motioned to calm down, telling them to let the people have time to enjoy the moment.

As he was being whisked away, I asked him if he approved of President Obama’s compromise on the Preventive Services Mandate, and his reply was a predictable “No, no, no!”

Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC, CPAC 2012, Dave Weigel, Mitt Romney, Occupy, Occupy DC, Occupy Movement, Rick Santorum

Anonymous

Curious you don’t mention some (perhaps most) of those protesters were hired by the AFL-CIO and paid $60 to protest CPAC today. On numerous sites, but here’s a nice quote from the Daily Caller’s Michelle Fields story I’d seen this morning:
“I have nothing nice to say about Local 100. … They just told me ‘you wanna make sixty bucks? So c’mon,’” the protester said.
val smith

Dave got jacked up!

I’m so glad Speaker Boehner supports the OWS movement. At least now these protesters have learned to hit “the man” right where he lives.
Gloves Fred Donahue

Hired and sent by unions. That’s what unions do with the union dues paid by the workers.
They waste it on meaningless protests, ( also gold plated brass knuckles and pinky rings for the union bosses).
Anonymous

Don’t forget the multi million dollar golf resort they own in Michigan. Just don’t try to play there if you are in the area, its for union bigwigs.
Anonymous

Stick to print Tommy, you can stir the imagination with your words… your video…. not so much, the whole thing smacked of the movements failure to maintain relevancy.
South Park Conservatives

Astroturfing mofos. Stay classy Libs.
Anonymous

Interesting, Dan doesn’t allow links any more? “Awaiting moderation…???”
Anonymous

The video of the Sheet Metal Workers Local 100 payee discussing his salary of $60 to appear as an “occupy protester” is on Drudge, since Mediaite isn’t allowing links.
Anonymous

At least, they got jobs for a day!
http://thoreauhd.myid.net/ ThoreauHD

10 negroes and a cup. Ah what a feeling to be racists without a cause.
http://profile.yahoo.com/P2LLQFN2ABAWZMAB6S6VE7I6NM Brian

What are these Occupy Criminals protesting? CPACs right to free speech?
http://www.proactivepolitics.blogspot.com/ Norbit Peters

FOX just ran interviews with some of the protestors. One didn’t know what CPAC was, but said he was approached and offered $60 to protest!

Do you think you’ll see that clip on CBS? ABC? NBC? (lol) the NY Times? AP?…
http://www.proactivepolitics.blogspot.com/ Norbit Peters

FOX played what might be that guy.
Do you think the OWS is staging it to offer black protestors $$$ because they took flack from the race-obsessed Left that they were all white?
http://www.proactivepolitics.blogspot.com/ Norbit Peters

Query:

With the revelation of OWS “protestors” unaware of what they were protesting, and being paid $60 to do it, do you think the organizers deliberately targeted non-white “protestors” to debunk the criticism that they are an all-white movement?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Bee-Ruled/100001985815996 Bee Ruled

It’s nice and chilly in DC, right? Turn the firehoses on those stinky OWSers.
Anonymous

If they would occupy a shower, they might be able to occupy a job.
Anonymous

Oh wow, liberals paid people to break the law in the name of politics again; must be a day ending in “y”.
Anonymous

Get a job,after you take a shower.

DOUBLE DRINK!!
Anonymous

More lamestream media distortion, protestors were not ejected by police.Once they got in,they fell neck deep in BS and swam for their lives!! That’ll teach Em,mans gotta know your limitations,and more importantly,when to apply waders.
DoNotMindMe

Occupy Protesters are paid $60 to protest…. and they don’t even know what they are protesting or what CPAC is!

These are the useful idiots that the Unions scavenge up in order to demonize conservatives and destroy the Tea Party.
The media surely won’t report on this, it hurts the meme that the ‘Occupy 99%’ are the ‘REAL’ Americans.
Anonymous

Nice to know that OWS is not a real moment but rather just a bunch of idiots for hire.
Anonymous

There has to be a better way of protesting they yelling in restaurant. You come off looking terrible and not helping your cause in anyway.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_ERDSZOOPOITNDF3GS45TPSRZP4 Jeff

Breitbart is right the OWS crowd is just the anti-war crowd recycled to attack Republicans and conservatives. The same anti-war crowd that disappeared right after Obama was elected even though Obama still followed all of Bush’s war strategy of drone attacks, surges, rendition, wire tapping and patriot act. The anti-war crowd werent so much anti-war as they were anti-Republican in power so they politicizes the war to get Bush out and Obama elected. Now they re-group as OWS protesting conservative/Republican events but do nothing about Obama who is a 1%,and is sucking up to all the 1%’s to get re-elected.
http://www.proactivepolitics.blogspot.com/ Norbit Peters

“OWS seeking protestors, $60 per day, placards provided. Particularly looking for minority protestors to give the illusion that OWS is not an all-white movement. And remember, all OWS violence is Democratic Party and Union approved.”
Anonymous

I have 2 jobs and shower daily.

Strike 3…Yer’ Out !!
http://profile.yahoo.com/CFXPVVFCDL5DXDSBZAWLCDY6FI Larry Owens

OWS is a bunch of liberal/socialist degenerate fools being used and paid to disrupt meetings etc. Obozo and his Billion Dollar supporters are pulling out all the stops to get him re-elected. He will be re-elected Bought & Paid for. They are just going through the motions.
Anonymous

Drop some links
Anonymous

Gloves you know better then to spew without links.
Anonymous

Because fuxed is FEAR mongering!
http://www.facebook.com/chasrmartin Charlie Martin

Tommy, you might want to mention that Occupy had been threatening physical assault on the CPAC folks. The police might just have a reason….

And yeah, I’d be thrilled to leave a link, except the comments previous with links I left on this thread disappeared.
Anonymous

Like to see those slobs yank those other slobs outta that hotel!
Anonymous

Really? Do you know why??