Pat Buchanan Taunts Protesters At Speech
A rally for Patrick J. Buchanan on this town’s Battle Green turned into a bitter match between hundreds of supporters and protesters, as the Republican presidential candidate inflamed passions by repeatedly laughing at the protesters and taunting them as “children.”
In an especially raucous event, Buchanan arrived in a driving snowstorm and stood near a monument to the Minutemen. In this version of the Battle of Lexington, hundreds of people who supported Buchanan were met by hundreds of local residents, many of whom carried signs that accused the candidate of anti-Semitism and intolerance.
Buchanan said to the protesters, most of whom were adults: “Come on, children, stop it or I’ll take away your Pell grants,” referring to college grants. When Buchanan laughed, hundreds of supporters screamed and hooted. At another point, Buchanan again called the protesters “children,” laughed uproariously and said, “I’m having too much fun!” Buchanan’s aides said the commentator purposely picked Lexington even though they knew many in the town would oppose his candidacy in Tuesday’s Massachusetts primary. While most of the candidates prefer to speak before a group of supporters, Buchanan often seeks out controversy and confrontation.
That is what he got Saturday in Lexington, as he delivered a standard stump speech calling for an end to abortion, restrictions on immigration and a promise that he would put President Clinton “in the crossfire.”
Judith Brain, pastor of the Pilgrim Congregational Church-United Church of Christ in Lexington, came to the rally with a sign that said “Not This Christian.” Brain said, “I resent the fact that he says he speaks for Christians, but he doesn’t speak for all Christians. Many or most of us are more tolerant. We believe in following the words of Jesus, which is being accepting of all peoples.”
Buchanan loyalists were equally passionate.
“He works for some of the values that made our country great,” Bob Ethier of Wilmington said. “Honesty, integrity, defending liberty.”