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Tancredo event turns rowdy

M.E. Sprengelmeyer, Rocky Mountain News

Published December 1, 2006 at midnight

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Protests, scattered fights and fire alarms reportedly disrupted Rep. Tom Tancredo's appearance last night at Michigan State University, a local newspaper reported.

According to The State News of Michigan, Tancredo's talk on illegal immigration "turned violent" when about 10 to 20 protesters crashed the event and scuffled with event sponsors from the MSU College Republicans and Young Americans for Freedom.

"It saddens me that my fellow Spartans would display this type of behavior," Kyle Bristow, chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom, told the newspaper.

He was quoted saying that he was kicked and spat upon by protesters outside the MSU College of Law, where the event took place.

Tancredo has become both famous and infamous for his controversial statements denouncing what he calls uncontrolled immigration and the "cult of multiculturalism."

Most of this week, he has been in a public spat with Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and other Floridians after he described the city of Miami as resembling a "Third World country."

At Thursday night's event, protesters reportedly gathered inside the building where the event was being held, some carrying signs reading, "Ignorant Racist," the newspaper reported.

Twice during the event, fire alarms were pulled and the building had to be evacuated.

The State News quoted protester Randy McPhereson, who carried a sign saying, "Where's the wall to keep you out?"

"God works in mysterious ways," McPherson said about the second fire alarm. "(Tancredo) shouldn't be here."

Late last night, Tancredo sent an e-mail to his staff describing the event.

"The speech had lots of disruptions by protestors trying to 'silence' me," Tancredo wrote. "Apparently they declared ahead of time on (facebook.com) that they would not allow me to speak."

He continued: "There are at least 3 incidents of physical violence by the protestors against college republicans: one was spit on, one was kicked, and one was punched. Tires were also slashed."

His e-mail ended with one line: "Very exciting stuff."