Protests, Arrests Greet Gonzales in Florida
The hecklers outnumbered supporters of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales during his speech at the University of Florida last night.
Two protesters, dressed in bright orange garb with black hoods over their heads to resemble detainees at Guantanamo Bay, were arrested after they jumped on stage next to Gonzales, who quietly ignored them while police took them away.
Gonzales was then forced to wait several minutes for the crowd to quiet down before resuming his $40,000 speech. He tried to parlay the antagonism the best he could. "Our young men and women fight overseas to preserve these kinds of freedom of speech," he continued.
The orange-clad protesters were reportedly only the worst of it. Gonzales was harassed throughout his presentation before some 1,500 people in a campus auditorium and at times struggled to finish his sentences, according to The Gainesville Sun.