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Few
protesters make it quiet, peaceful visit
By KIM
SCHMIDT
Hub Staff Writer
KEARNEY — "Clinton
Rapist."
That was just one of several signs
protesters held along President Bill Clinton's motorcade route from
Kearney Municipal Airport to the University of Nebraska at Kearney
Friday morning.
"God's wrath is coming on America," a
Denver protester yelled repeatedly as he stood on the sidewalk just
south of UNK's Health and Sports Center.
Friday morning, about 15 protesters
from "ShadowGov.com" stood along University Drive and the north and
south sides of the coliseum. A van belonging to the group also
circled campus displaying signs that protested abortion and showed
an aborted fetus.
Other Clinton foes held signs and
were scattered throughout the crowd along the motorcade
route.
Kearney Police Chief Dan Lynch said
local and out-of-state protesters were peaceful, and there weren't
any threats of violence. There were no protesters inside the Health
and Sports Center.
"They (protesters) wanted to make
sure they were seen, and I think that was done," he said. "There
were a couple of people that were less than cooperative initially,
but they were relatively civil."
Wednesday, a spokesperson with
ShadowGov.com of Denver told the Hub that group intended to be
picket Clinton and hold signs reading "Clinton Rapist." In an e-mail
to the Hub, Bob Enyart said his group has staged protests against
Clinton in 147 U.S. cities from Martha's Vineyard to New
Zealand.
The group claims Clinton sexually
assaulted an Arkansas woman in 1978 while he was a campaign worker.
The group also opposes abortion.
"He's a rapist. He's a criminal," the
crowd chanted as students and media representative filtered into
UNK.
The majority of the ShadowGov.com
protesters directed their comments at Clinton, although some police
were verbally abused.
Although no protesters were arrested,
one unidentified man tested the patience of local police and the
Secret Service for about 20 minutes when he refused to move from the
sidewalk south of the coliseum or give police his name. The man,
standing with two, 4-foot signs that protested abortion, claimed he
wasn't blocking the sidewalk and argued he was exercising his right
to free speech.
It wasn't until police told the man
he was going to be arrested and a local police cruiser arrived at
the scene that the man moved across the street with his
co-protesters.
Police also confronted an
unidentified male protester dressed as former President Abraham
Lincoln. Lynch said the man wanted to protest in the road, and
police talked to him for 15 to 20 minutes before he cooperated and
left the road.
Although Westboro Baptist Church, an
anti-gay group, had announced it would picket the president's
appearance, Lynch said the group didn't show up.
"I thought it went exceptionally
well," Lynch said. "I think it had a lot to do with the preparatory
work that went into it."
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