Background: Although a permit had been obtained to allow 10 people to deliver a petition of grievances to Orrin Hatch and Bob Bennett’s offices today at the Federal Building in SLC, they ended up not being permitted to do so because Hatch and Bennett did not want to hear them and would not allow them in their offices….
My good friend Nate decided he would venture over to the Pro-Bush rally this evening, during the same time as the anti-Bush evening rally in Pioneer Park, along with Julian Hatch. Nate had on a t-shirt with a stenciled picture of George W. and the words “Worst President” covered over by a buttoned down dress shirt.
Nate was able to squirm his way to the front of the rally at the City County Building and discovered that Orrin Hatch was speaking. As Nate unbuttoned his dress shirt to expose his t-shirt, he began shouting to Orrin that he was not respecting the constitution by not allowing his constiuents into his office today. As he was shouting, an elderly man, about 80, grabbed Nate by the shoulders from behind and began punching and kneeing him in the back. An Associated Press Photographer was able to capture the incident by camera – so be on the lookout for it.
Republican friends of the elderly man began shouting “Stop – Don’t do that!” to the man. I’m sure they didn’t want the media coverage of that incident.
Fortunately Nate was not hurt. Apparently others that were heckling Orrin Hatch did so to the point where Senator Hatch had to stop speaking.
Deanna Dee-Dee Taylor 