Riot police shield Obama from tea-party grandmas

Patriotic tea partiers in Quincy, Ill. (photo: Jim Hoft of BigGovernment.com)

When hundreds of tea-party protesters – including many elderly women – gathered outside a civic center where President Obama was giving a public speech Wednesday, they were surprised to be greeted by police dispatched in full riot gear.

Obama spoke in Quincy, Ill., at the Oakley Lindsay Civic Center. The event was open to the public, and about 2,000 tickets were distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

About 200 protesters peacefully rallied outside the civic center, carrying signs that read "Give Us Liberty Not Debt" and yellow "Don't Tread On Me" flags, the Quincy Herald-Whig reported. Protesters waved U.S. flags and shouted "Remember in November" and "You work for us."

'Look at these extremist maniacs!'

After Obama's motorcade arrived, a Secret Service agent instructed protesters to move across the street. The crowd began singing "God Bless, America" and the National Anthem. Quincy Deputy Police Chief Ron Dreyer ordered police in full riot gear to march up the street and stand between the tea partiers and the civic center.

Snipers were also spotted on the rooftop of the building.

Rooftop snipers (photo: Gateway Pundit)

Tea-party grannies are just some of America's true patriots! Find out who the rest are in this beautiful collection of tea-party images.

The tea partiers complied when they were told to move across the street, behind a sidewalk and into a parking lot. The riot police did not come into contact with the crowd, and the tea partiers sang patriotic songs while obeying the orders.

"Thanks for protecting our president," one tea partier can be heard saying on a video of the event. "He's the anointed One, the Messiah."

Another man said, "Illegals are rioting, and we're as peaceful as you can believe."

NBC affiliate WGEM described the crowd as "rowdy," though they could be heard singing "God Bless America" in the background during the report.

Inside, Obama told the crowd, "[W]hen I travel now, it kind of causes a ruckus."

Michelle Malkin's blog responded to the incident with the headline "Riot police called in to protect Obama from out-of-control tea party."

"Thank goodness the riot police showed up quickly before something serious happened," Doug Powers wrote. "Look at these extremist maniacs!"

Powers referenced photos of several elderly women at the protest who smiled and wore U.S. flags.

Tea partiers in Quincy,
Ill. (photo: Jim
Hoft of BigGovernment.com)

"No word yet on how many crimes were carried out in town while the police were being ordered to monitor this seething cauldron of tea-party rage," he wrote, "but it was a small price to pay to keep the area secure."

(Photo: A Traditional Life blog)

Organizer Steve McQueen told the Herald-Whig, "We've always been respectful and acted with dignity. We are out to make our case and make it peacefully."

Tea partiers rally on opposite side of street (photo: Flickr / edeldoug)

Tea-party blog P/Oed Patriot posted the following video of the incident:

The following videos of the event were also posted on YouTube:

The photos and videos sparked a wave of blogger reactions, including the following comments:

I hope the riot police have full auto assault weapons with armor-piercing rounds. I hear false teeth can deflect normal NATO rounds.

Those poor police have to be embarrassed.

These guys and gals look like my mom or the people in my church. Wake up America!

Why can't these racist, violent tea parties be civil like the peaceful pro-illegal immigration rallies we saw in Phoenix!?

The cops really have to worry since protesters are shown on tape throwing bottles at them. Oh wait …

SWAT was there because it looked like the ladies were going to break out in a bingo game. Those daubers have ink, ya know.

Oh my G-d. How beyond ridiculous. This country's "leaders" have gone stark raving insane.

Yeah, they look like real hoodlums. Next they'll be going after the elementary school kids singing those crazy patriotic songs!

When will the AARP condemn this threatening behavior by team Obama?

Army prepping for tea-party 'terrorists'?

Meanwhile, the Patriot Post's Mark Alexander reports he was contacted by enlisted soldiers and officers of the military who are concerned about Army exercises at Fort Knox. According to the report, military intel advisories identify potential terrorist adversaries as "Local Militia Groups / Anti-Government Protesters / TEA Party."

A purported exercise intel update issued April 23 read: "The Demonstration did not happen due to Federal and local law enforcement influence. Possible raid on the local White Supremacists Organization may have been made in the last 48 hours."

The document for the exercise continues, "TEA Party organizers have stated that they will protest at the Gold Vault at a future date. Mint Police are on a heightened alert status to deal with a large crowd on the grounds. Anti-Government - Health Care Protesters have stated that they would join the TEA Party as a sign of solidarity."

The threat risk is dubbed "substantial," with "threats against the US Bullion Depository and Fort Knox."

A similar intel update for another exercise was purportedly issued April 26.

It stated, "Many members were extremely agitated at what they referred to as Government intervention and over taxation in Their lives. Alcohol use 'fanned the flames.' Many Military grade firearms were openly carried. An ad hoc 'shoot the Govt. Agent' event was held with prizes (alcohol) given for thge best shot placement. Components for bomb making are reported to have been on the site. Some members have criminal records relating to explosive and weapons violations."

It continues, "Local detention centers are being made ready for mass arrests."

According to the update, the 16th Cavalry Regiment Quick Reaction Force I and the 194th Armored Brigade Quick Reaction Force II were placed on two-hour recall.

"Such exercises are critical to the readiness of our forces, and the standard for the real time intel reports in these drills requires thinly veiled references to assets of existing or collateral threat vectors such as communist regimes such as China and real terrorist networks such as al-Qaida, etc," Alexander wrote. "Perhaps the writers of such exercises today should focus on response plans for, say, an Islamic terrorist who attacks a post (See Ft. Hood / Major Nidal Malik Hasan.)."

He added, "The Fort Knox exercise is not only amateurish in its construct, but also sets an ominous political precedent."

Alexander said he was recently contacted by the senior command staff at Fort Knox who said an officer in the security loop altered the scenario "in order to make it more realistic." He was told the alterations were not approved at the command level and that the person who circulated the scenario through official channels will "receive appropriate counsel."