Quincy Tea Party Protest Draws Police In Riot Gear During Obama Speech (VIDEO)

Tea Party protesters in Quincy, Illinois who did not follow a Secret Service agent's orders were met with an group of police officers dressed in riot gear Wednesday, according to a local newspaper report.

The Quincy Herald-Whig reported that the tense moment happened when protesters, who were marching toward the location where President Obama was speaking, did not obey a Secret Service agent's orders to move to the other side of the street:

When the crowd didn't move and began singing "God Bless, America" and the national anthem, Quincy Deputy Police Chief Ron Dreyer called for members of the Mobile Field Force to walk up the street.

The officers, mainly from Metro East departments near St. Louis and dressed in full body armor, marched from the east and stood on the south side of York facing the protesters.

There was no physical contact, and the officers did not come close to the crowd, but there were catcalls and more than a few upset tea party members, including a woman who shouted, "This is communism!"

Quincy Deputy Police Chief Curt Kelty told the Herald-Whig that "We were just trying to move them back, they complied, and it was fine."

According to the newspaper, protest organizer Steve McQueen helped police in asking protesters to move across the street.

Separate videos of the situation show protesters grumbling and taunting the police.

The first video, posted to local NBC affiliate WGEM's web site, captured audio of some of the protesters' pointed remarks, with one woman repeatedly referring to President Obama as "the anointed one," and a male protester wondering why riot police aren't used to quell "rioting" illegal immigrants.

A reporter for WGEM, a local NBC affiliate, described the protest as "rowdy." But conservative blogger Michelle Malkin disagreed and mocked the strength of the police response.

President Obama visited Quincy to deliver a speech about financial reform.

WATCH: Viewer-submitted video of the confrontation from WGEM

WATCH: Video posted to YouTube

Comments

[NoMoosestew]

10:49 AM on 05/04/2010

The SS has the right to protect the President as they see fit. With all the people showing up with firearms, threats, and signs they have a right to be cautious. President Clinton came to my city, we all had to go through mental detectors before we were allowed near the stage where he was speaking. They had snipers on the roof nearby. I felt that SS in no way violated by rights but simply did their job.

No one know if a threat was called in that day or a letter was sent. Age doesn't matter. A women or an older man is perfectly capable of handing a gun. Look at that girl from the Manson gang who shot at President Ford. When SS tells you to step back you step back. They may save your arse from some nutbag with a gun too.

[RevJimIII]

03:02 PM on 05/04/2010

You like to dig in that big ol bag of 'what ifs' don't ya?

[NoMoosestew]

05:01 PM on 05/04/2010

The security of our President is not about what ifs.

[MJ Hooper]

12:36 PM on 05/05/2010

Rev
Consideration of the 'what ifs' is how sensible intelligent people plan for the worst, as well as the best. A little more what if thinking quite likely would have spared us the current oil gusher in the gulf, two (most likely) hundred year wars in Muslim countries, the foreclosure debacle, and numerous other ills. Maybe you should consider thinking instead of automatically resorting to ridicule..... Your attitude need adjusting, IMHO.

[SWRichmond]

10:29 AM on 05/04/2010

huffpo posts some really important information exposing the financial oligarchy, but reading the coments here I am tempted to conclude that there are few here who are capable of understanding the articles.

The amount of mindless hatred posted here is absolutely shocking.

[Tea Party]

12:58 PM on 05/01/2010

Is this where we are headed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwaAVJITx1Y

[jcow]

10:50 AM on 05/01/2010

The local police did look pretty ridiculous in the videos. The protestors were definitely not violent - snarky but not violent. I've worked with the USSS and the gentleman in the video many are referring to as an agent is not one - he was a WH staffer. There is a HUGE difference between these tea party people and those who protested and where sent to the "free speech" zone. We look absurd when we compare the two.

[Riverman]

06:49 PM on 04/29/2010

If the President’s security detail orders a group of people to move. They either move or get moved. This stinks of a publicity stunt by the teabaggers. After all armed angry flash mobs raging for the cameras on command is how they came into existence

[Belair222]

03:05 PM on 04/30/2010

That's going to look great on the 6pm news. What were they armed with...Bingo Chips?

That type of government abuse only turns more people away. That was totally uncalled for and something the local police certainly are capable of handling.

[Riverman]

04:16 PM on 04/30/2010

No one knows what they were armed with can you say that no one was armed or even wearing a bomb? If teabaggers are right about things then why are they always trying to deny the facts and promote the lies? GROW UP there was no abuse of power just a small group of nutty/angry fools who presumed to challenge the Presidents security detail for the soul purpose of creating fake drama for the TV

[MJ Hooper]

12:42 PM on 05/05/2010

Obviously you don't get it. The Secret Service (please, let's not call it the SS!!!) calls the shots when protecting the most important elected man in this once great superpower. Let's hear the indignation when those misguided individuals are rounded up and sent to a fenced enclosure half a mile from the action.....as Bush and company arranged for his opponents during the recent 8 years of official fear and loathing of protesters.
Riverman is right.....what if one of those TPrs was toting a gun? Isnt' that one of their main issues...the right to carry a weapon?
Good for the guys who kept our President safe.

[SWRichmond]

10:19 AM on 05/04/2010

"If the President’s security detail orders a group of people to move. They either move or get moved."

Wow, just wow.

[VA Voter]

05:50 PM on 04/29/2010

Communism? Communism is paying $1.25 for a candy bar from a vending machine only to later find that SAME candy bar for .75 cents in the cafeteria! That's communism with a side of fascism and a dash of nazi-ism, Totally ruined my day! Tea baggers had it easy I say.

[Weehawk]

05:57 PM on 04/29/2010

Huh? That sounds like out-and-out capitalism to me. Nobody seems to know the definitions of the terms they toss around like hand-grenades.

[VA Voter]

05:58 PM on 04/29/2010

My point. I was using the term like the teabaggers were.

[SPQR1775]

05:25 PM on 04/29/2010

Ha, a dose of their own medicine, this is not 1950s or 1960s era. Follow the law people or get locked up! it is that simple!

[SWRichmond]

10:21 AM on 05/04/2010

So many law and order liberals when resistance to dear leader materializes. Have you guys seen the video of the FIGHTING at the "pro-immigration" rally? The Tea Party was nowhere to be found.

[RevJimIII]

05:16 PM on 05/04/2010

While many 'left' and/or Union gatherings seem to degrade towards outbreaks of violence, I cannot find hardly anything relating to the Tea Party events where they started anything.

[roooth]

04:54 PM on 04/29/2010

Where were these people when we were herded into the misnamed "Free speech" cages during Bush's reign?

And, exactly what rioting illegal aliens was that woman talking about? These people are delusional!

[margoharris]

08:29 PM on 04/29/2010

Right on! fanned

[SWRichmond]

10:24 AM on 05/04/2010

Some of us WERE protesting, you just didn't hear about it because the media is controlled. And this charge of "where were they when..." is moronic. Rather than debate facts, it hints of hidden motives and invites the reader to draw unsupported conclusions. Debate by innuendo rather than issue. Is that really all you've got?

[RevJimIII]

05:17 PM on 05/04/2010

I became disenchanted back when Carter was in office.. been doing a lot of opining for decades.. just because the bubbling anxiety breaks to the surface, they say those of us who have been aware for some time have JUST come out to speak..

[Jim281]

04:44 PM on 04/29/2010

How 'bout the Teatards (rather than the nat'l guard) head to Chicago, inner city, and see how it's REALLY done!

[donia1970]

07:09 PM on 04/29/2010

...yeah, head to the SOUTHSIDE!!!!!

[Jim281]

04:01 PM on 04/29/2010

"...more than a few upset tea party members, including a woman who shouted..."

I thought that was pretty much REQUIRED in order to join the Teatards.

[Pediego]

03:57 PM on 04/29/2010

Calling all Tea Partiers to Arizona to protest big government there. GO! GO! GO! Let's not be lumped together with the GOP. GO! GO! GO!

[Jim281]

04:13 PM on 04/29/2010

Yeah! c'mon, Teatards! Bring out the "short bus" fleet, and head to Arizona. Argue for PEOPLE for a change, instead of Health Insurance companies and abusive Wall Street practices that sc rew evryone! Gooldman Sachs IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!!!!!

[jwredd]

05:03 PM on 04/29/2010

I guess that's the other "big government". You know, the one that we need to defend America for all us white people......

[Carolyn LeBeauf]

03:55 PM on 04/29/2010

The poor right wing Beck's teabaggers. They are so ignorant. They have allowed the likes of beck, malkin, palin, limbaugh,and hannity lead them to slaughter. They look and sound so stupid.

[Jim281]

04:16 PM on 04/29/2010

All the rabblerousers you mentioned have something so obvious in common (beside the fact they are wealthy).

These are the ones who like to stir up sh..tuff, but never get any on their own hands!

[Pediego]

03:51 PM on 04/29/2010

The tea party's next stop is Arizona to protest govt overreaching in to citizen's lives. That's their main mantra which they're so impassioned about. How many bus loads will there be?

[PDinCA]

04:36 PM on 04/29/2010

Yeah, right after they protest against the government overreaching into people's bedrooms, or wombs...

[JLSR]

03:27 PM on 04/29/2010

Better to have the gear and not need it than to need the gear and not have it! Even the Boy Scouts know to "Be Prepared!"

[PDinCA]

04:38 PM on 04/29/2010

Indeed, better a helmet and shield than Secret Service bullets.

[hippieforlife]

03:03 PM on 04/29/2010

The sight of this wimpy looking "riot squad" is the funniest thing I have seen lately! They do not look capable of stopping a mob of angry cats.

Simply overkill and the town looks kind of stupid.

[NHPat]

03:24 PM on 04/29/2010

I'm with you - sounds like the Tea Party folk were doing a bit of chuckling too.

[RevJimIII]

03:26 PM on 04/29/2010

I mean no offense to anyone but it was comedic, .. left, right, left... against Grandmas and a few other folks standing around..

[NHPat]

03:38 PM on 04/29/2010

And you're a community moderator??? wow, just wow :(