Uploaded by roberterickson1 on Feb 1, 2012 Mitt Romney Glitter Bombed Twice at Minnesota Campaign Stop EAGAN, MN -- GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney glitter bombed not once, but twice at a Minnesota campaign stop by two members of Occupy Minneapolis and the LGBT rights group the Glitterati. Nick Espinosa and Sam Richards yelled "Feel the rainbow" and "the 1% pays for hate, you're not welcome in our state!" as they showered Romney in rainbow colored glitter as he walked up to the stage, and again as he shook hands on his way out. Romney completed the speech with a formidable amount of glitter sparkling in his hair and another Occupy Minneapolis member Sam Richards added a second salvo of glitter just after Romney concluded his speech. "The struggle against inequality in all its forms unites the 99%. Just as we stand against economic inequality, we stand against the inequality faced by those us in the LGBT community." Added Ben Egerman, an organizer of the action. "We will not stand by as members of the richest 1% like Mitt Romney spend their millions to fund anti-gay hate. Minnesotans pride ourselves on being a tolerant and diverse state for all regardless of sexual orientation, and hateful politicians like Mitt Romney should expect a sparkly response anytime they bring their divisive rhetoric to our state." Espinosa said. Romney has consistently opposed LGBT equality, and avidly campaigned against same-sex marriage as governor of Massachusetts. While in office as governor, he attempted to cut all funding to groups providing services to LGBT youth, and has since financially supported anti-gay political groups. His recent tax records show that he donated 4 million dollars to the Mormon church which has campaigned against equality nationwide. The glittering phenomenon was sparked by the prior actions of Nick Espinosa, who showered Newt Gingrich with glitter in an act that has inspired numerous other glitter bombings of other presidential hopefuls including Rick Santorum, Michele Bachman, and Tim Pawlenty. The action was organized in part by Espinosa and Egerman, who made national news in a successful glitter bombing of Karl Rove last October. The two have also been involved in organizing protests with Occupy Minneapolis. "We've seen this strategy used time and time again," said Richards. "Republicans are gambling on hateful politics in a desperate attempt to boost turn-out in 2012, without concern for the cost to American families along the way. Thankfully people are waking up to the cost of such hateful policies for our families and children a more tolerant generation rejects the hateful rhetoric of politicians like Mitt Romney" No arrests were made in the action, and more glitter actions are certain to follow. Category: News & Politics Tags: occupy minneapolis occupymn feel the rainbow nick espinosa sam richards glitterati.
