Karl Rove greeted with protests and bomb threat in Claremont

Not quite the red carpet treatment for Karl Rove during a visit to Claremont on Monday, where George Bush's one-time adviser gave a speech about the current presidential candidates, as well as the legacy of his former boss. (That's Rove in the photo, shot back in 2005.) The Daily Bulletin reports that hundreds of protesters lined Rove's route to and from Claremont McKenna College. Meanwhile, inside the auditorium, Rove shared his thoughts with a much friendlier audience:

"One of the most important resources is time," Rove said about the 2008 presidential election.

Rove said Obama had not seized the narrowing election days to "advance his case."

For instance, Obama linked the country's economic problems to Bush and McCain instead of showing "he's up to the job" with a specific proposal.

Rove said he felt Bush was a "successful" president but they had "done a lousy job of explaining" why he was.

Rove listed the million dollar AIDS relief fund for Africa, the accountability of the No Child Left Behind performance program, large amounts of money invested in alternative energy and privatizing social security.

After the event, several protesters said they were hit with pepper spray by campus police, a claim campus officials deny. A bomb threat was phoned in that evening but a search by police turned up nothing. Full story in the Daily Bulletin.

-- Veronique de Turenne

Photo: Associated Press

Comments

[Charles Johnson]

I have been following this in more detail over at The Claremont Conservative (claremontconservative.com), and Ms. Veronique de Turenne got it entirely wrong in her blog post. At the lunch earlier with Rove, he was received with standing ovation.

The "student" protesters were from another college and are not at all reflective of Claremont McKenna students -- few of whom support the kind of strong arm and anarchy that the protesters employed. They shouted down a guest to our college, vandalized our property, and smoke marijuana on school grounds and then blocked the cars from leaving. So much for a civil disobedience!

[Sahil Kapur]

The previous comment is not entirely accurate.

The protests were peaceful and the protesters made no attempt to "shout down" or silence Rove's speech at the Athenaeum. They were simply making their own voices heard outside the building, just as Rove was doing inside. The use of the word "anarchy" is also inappropriate. The protesters made no attempt to disrespect the rules or the authorities; their actions were the definition of free speech.

As for the vandalism, it's not entirely untrue, but no significant damage was done to CMC property. The protesters dropped red paint inside the fountain just outside the building, probably to symbolize the blood on Karl Rove's hands. Some chunks of it still remained up until a an hour ago when I last checked but most of it has gone. Nevertheless, the protesters were wrong for not fully cleaning up after themselves.

Also, for the record, the students of Claremont McKenna College do not all support Rove or his politics. In fact, I don't believe anywhere near a majority of us do. Some even took part in the protests. We're a very politically diverse campus.

[Claremont Student]

As a student who witnessed the entire event first hand I would like to clear up some discrepancies:

1) Campus Police was not responsible for spraying pepper spray, it was the Claremont Police who pepper sprayed students as the police rushed Mr. Rove to a nearby car. The only person who sprayed pepper spray and was not a member of the police was a "special events consultant" that is employed by Claremont McKenna College.

2) Two police officers were overheard saying (and sadly not captured on video) that the bomb threat was completely fabricated by the police in order to get people to leave the area.

Please spread the truth.

[Sam Pashall]

I was one of the students sitting in front of the police cars to block Rove's exit. The person locked arms to my right was a CMC student, while the female on my right studies at Scripps. Charles Johnson's words, ''The "student" protesters were from another college and are not at all reflective of Claremont McKenna students,'' is an incorrect account of the protestor's demographic. Many groups accross the nation have expressed their dissatisfaction with the present reigning party, and the cronnies who accompany their dishonest tactics. America will stand for this economic, constitutional right, and human murder no longer; demonstrations such as the one for Karl Rove exemplify the general sentiment of discontent.

[Charles Johnson]

This is a completely false accusation on the part of the last two commentors, who often are deceitful and dishonest.

Here are just a partial list of what the so-called "peaceful" protesters did.

# They got on top of McKenna auditorium, draping two political messages without the consent of the people whose building those were. At CMC, if students were to do that, they'd be J-Boarded.
# The fountains in which many Claremont McKenna students are ponded on their birthdays were vandalized with red dye -- symbolizing no doubt the blood of all the Iraqis who are supposedly on Rove's hands.
# The loud drum circles clearly disrupted the event.
# They chanted jeers and taunts at Claremont McKenna students and faculty who attended the event, making it rather uncomfortable to use the very facilities we pay to maintain.
# There was marijuana smoke coming up from the crowd in front of and behind the Athenaeum. Need I remind you of what Pomona did when they discovered a student smoking in his room? They called the police!
# The garbage cannisters were overflowing at the Ath, with garbage strewn literally all over the ground. Also, I walked through the place the smell of feces and litter strewn about. So much for not violating the law.
# Apparently, snack is closed because of a bomb threat to Claremont McKenna, which isn't exactly an idle threat as campus radicals during the '60s actually bombed Claremont McKenna and Pomona. (More about this as it develops...)
# Towards the end of the night, Pitzer students and others sat down in front of police and residential vehicles behind the Athenaeum so that Karl Rove could not leave in the hopes of giving him a "citizen's arrest." Karl Rove ended up escaping, but not without considerable protests.

[Charles Johnson]

Also, it is entirely untrue that the paint did no permanent damage. It clogged up the vents of the fountains which had to be entirely drained, which meant a higher expense as we had to throw all that water out rather than simply pumping it through the fliter.
For people who tend to be so concerned about the environment, the Pitzer environmentalists tend to be most destructive of other people's!

[Sahil Kapur]

Like I said, I won't defend the use of the paint and none of us seem to know any details about the bomb threat, but quite frankly, Dean Huang and a number of security guards were at the event right from the start. Out of my own curiosity, I repeatedly asked them if the protesters were doing anything wrong or breaking any rules, and each time the answer was no. If the protesters were a real problem, none of us have any reason to doubt that the authorities would have stepped in.

As twisted and cynical a human being as I find Rove to be, he is obviously a brilliant political mind, and I am glad CMC continues to bring in prominent individuals to speak. Of course, it was very nice to watch the demonstrators make their voices heard too. I believe everyone should feel encouraged by their right to free speech, including of course, those I disagree with. All in all, last evening was quite a spectacle.

[Pitzer Student]

I'd like to offer some thoughts on that list of accusations.

-Yes, there were banner drops that were done without permission. Have we already forgotten the vandalism of Frary and other parts of Pomona's campus by rowdy CMC students? If you have forgotten, check it out: http://www.tsl.pomona.edu/index.php?article=1397
At least this banner dropped did no illegal property damage. And I certainly don't remember any J-boarding resulting from that incident.

-If I remember correctly, the fountain was also dyed a year ago with no such uproar. Actually, the fountain at Pitzer is dyed orange every year for graduation. Give us environmentally-conscious Pitzer students a little more credit - if the administration hadn't jumped to such conclusions, you all would have found that the dye filters out within a day or two, no damage done.

-I talked to a CMC student who attended the event and according to this student, although the drum circle and chants could be heard clearly inside the building, it did not disrupt the event. In fact, it made it more interesting for this student.

-If we jeered at CMC community members, it was certainly inappropriate. But let us remember the jeers that CMCers called out as we marched. I know two wrongs don't make a right, but you cannot pretend that CMC students took the moral high ground here.

-You should really check your facts before making claims about what people were smoking at the event. A lot of people smoke cigarettes. Cigarettes create smoke that would rise from the crowd, too. Sure, Pitzer kids have a reputation for smoking pot, but I can guarantee that not one person who organized this protest even had marijuana on them, let alone in their lungs.

-First of all, CMC has smelled like feces ever since that construction fence went up. Secondly, if you walked by directly after all the action was over, you would have found that we picked up all the trash and carried it all the way back to the dumpsters at Pitzer.

-After the action, the cops admitted that the bomb threat was probably called in by campus security in hopes of dispersing the crowd. The protesters were not the only people with cell phones, after all.

All in all, it was a peaceful demonstration. Well, at least until three kids were pepper sprayed (by a CMC head of security, who did seem somewhat apologetic afterwards) and almost run over by Karl Rove's car. Yes, there were banner drops, we were loud, there was a sit-in, and Karl Rove was kept inside the building for an extra hour and a half, but not one person was hurt by the protests, the speech went on and was enjoyed by those who attended, and no property was destroyed or damaged. It might be annoying to admit, but this protest was entirely acceptable, especially in light of the long list of crimes that have been ascribed to the man who came to speak.

[hey charles]

there's plenty of time to be a wing nut when you grow up. i bet you wear a bow tie you kook.

[Austin Brawner]

Please disregard anything said by Charles Johnson. He is an aspiring Faux News Correspondent, and he uses the internet to propagate falsities about the Claremont Colleges. I don't know his motive, but I am sick of seeing his propaganda spewed on message boards relating to the Claremont schools.

I was present for the duration of the protest, and his claim that protesters were jeering at Republican students is entirely false. Midway through the protest, a large group of students dressed in suits approached the crowd and began chanting "USA! USA!" in an attempt to drown out the protesters. Instead of "jeering" at the students, the protesters joined them, echoing the "USA!" chant, and adding "ARREST KARL ROVE!" The Republican students for the most part laughed, except for one of the larger students who I overheard say, "I want to get in a fight. I am going to punch a hippy." I sensed it was said partly in jest.

I do want to thank you Charles for giving the Pitzer students so much credit. I don't understand why, but for some reason he refuses to give credit to others involved with the protest. The girls from Scripps did a great job dancing, and my friends from CMC were some of the most vocal protesters out there, and don't forget Pomona, although small in number they gave it their all (typical Pomona kids).

[CMCModerate]

I'm sure Charles is used to ad-hominem attacks such as the ones made above. For the record, such statements do nora represent the left, especially cmc's left. We are capable of making well reasoned arguments and not all of us dance around like hippies in a bear suit.

I was a part of the protests, but not of the lunacy that took place after the speech. No reasonable person can condone blocking Rove's exit. That was anything but peaceful. I recall a pitzer student stirring up the crowd to turn violent saying, "there are more of us here than them"

Making your voice heard has nothing to do with some silly notion of a citizens arrest.

[Laurie Callaway, Claremont McKenna College, Junior]

I have been reading this message board for a while and I cannot refrain from posting any longer. I was at the protest that Charles Johnson dismisses and I have large disagreements with what he said.
First, in response to the accusation of marijuana smoke, I will reiterate what Pitzer Student stated above - there were a large number of protesters, myself included, who smoked cigarettes. I, like Charles Johnson, am familiar with the smell of marijuana smoke and did not smell any at the even,
Secondly, the smell of feces seemed to be emanating from the four plots of earth outside the Athenaeum that were being prepared for planting. Additionally, the college has smelled like feces since the recent construction surrounding the old Admissions and Financial Aid building and Pitzer Hall.
The protest was comprised of students from Pitzer, Scripps, AND Claremont McKenna. Unfortunately for some, there is no one political ideology on this campus.
Students were pepper sprayed and at least one of them (a Claremont McKenna freshman) was bodily thrown by one of the people surrounding Karl Rove. The campus does know that students were thrown and pepper sprayed because I witnessed the special events consultant mentioned above talking to these students and asking them about their experiences. Furthermore, I witnessed a member of Campus Security giving medical advice about how to combat being pepper sprayed in the eyes.
I would like to note as well the actions of some Claremont McKenna students, a few of which are affiliated with the Claremont Independent (the conservative student publication). At first, these students (a majority of whom were large members of the football team) stood behind a tall hedge that faced the protesters so that only their eyes and foreheads could be seen. When asked to come out from behind the hedge, they refused, preferring to counter-protest in anonymity. These students held up an American flag and chanted "Four more years!" "Commies!" and "Take a bath, hippies!" at the protesters. As time passed, they ventured out from behind the hedge to gape at the protesters.
I do not consider this proper protesting at all. Instead of stating their issues like the protesters were doing, the counter-protesters were insulting and jeering, commandeering the American flag as if the rights guaranteed under our flag only approve of staunch conservatives.
It is a shame that some students who attend a school that prides itself on the comprehensive instruction of this country's history and political structure are uninterested or unaware that political protest and differing points of view are as American as apple pie.

[Charles Johnson]

Austin Brawner is typical of the kind of slander that makes for reasoned discourse at Claremont McKenna. I have never watched Fox (or Faux) News in my entire life, but if you criticizes the misbehavior of some students suddenly you are a right wing reactionary. CMC Moderate is right to condemn the lawlessness of the citizen's arrest. The counter protesters, of which I was one, were making their voices heard to show the police that not all of us approve of the lawlessness that befell our campus. We stood behind the bushes so that we could not be accused of engaging the misbehavior and because some of us had heard rumors that a tear gassing was in order. I wrote that the majority of the students were from Pitzer, though I did see a few from Pomona and Scripps and even a few CMCers.

When the fountains were initially dyed, I condemned it on my blog as did a number of other members in this community. Alas, it was not the same kind of dye and required a lot more man hours to clean it up as you'll read in the Claremont Independent's next issue.

As I was not around when the CMC students vandalized Frary, I cannot condemn that drunken misbehavior. I condemn it now and always would condemn it. The protesters are wrong to equate that behavior as the students responsible were punished and none other than Ward Elliott apologized to President Oxtoby.

Most of what the Pitzer student described is utterly fictitious. I have no problem with marijuana smoke in principle (in fact, I was part of an effort to decriminalize it in my home state for the chronically ill), but I know what I smelled and trying to suggest that the feces that was on the ground was somehow from the construction site -- more than a hundred yards away -- is really a bit much. Of course that's the kind of prevarication we have to come to expect from Pitzer students who attended the rally. As for not being disruptive, it's on the Ath's tape which I will link up to on my blog. It was a nice try, though.

I would like to thank the many Pitzer students who told me that they didn't approve of many of their fellow students' actions.

[Carolyn]

The exiting of Karl Rove really was a ridiculous mess. Students were blocking every conceivable exit in groups, banging on the doors saying things like "We know you're in there Karl, come out!"

When Mr. Rove finally came out, he was pushed through one of the protest groups blocking the door, then quickly guided by police to his car. I don't recall any pepper spray, but I do remember the smirk Mr. Rove had on his face.

You know what would have been interesting? If the protesters could have had a question-answer session with Karl Rove, then they could have expressed their beef with him in a more civil manner and maybe some important issues could have come to light.