Below The Beltway

In addition to last night’s events in Tampa, it looks like a Congressional Town Hall in St. Louis was the site of another angry confrontation:

On Thursday evening, a forum on aging called by Rep. Russ Carnahan, D-St. Louis, drew an overflow crowd of several hundred to Bernard Middle School gym in south St. Louis County. Dozens of people, many carrying signs about the health care debate, were kept out because of the turnout. The back and forth between factions within the crowd created a carnival-like atmosphere inside and out between members of the movement opposing President Barack Obama’s policies and groups who came to show support for the president’s proposals.

Six people, including a Post-Dispatch reporter, were arrested after confrontations outside the school, said county police spokesman Rick Eckhard. Two were arrested on suspicion of assault, one of resisting arrest and three on suspicion of committing peace disturbances. Carnahan was gone when the ruckus started, Eckhard said.

Kenneth Gladney, 38, a conservative activist from St. Louis, said he was attacked by some of those arrested as he handed out yellow flags with “Don’t tread on me” printed on them. He spoke to the Post-Dispatch from the emergency room at St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, where he said he was awaiting treatment for injuries to his knee, back, elbow, shoulder and face. Gladney, who is black, said one of his attackers, also a black man, used a racial slur against him before the attack.

“It just seems there’s no freedom of speech without being attacked,” he said.

(…)

Members of the local Tea Party Coalition, a movement that has emerged to counter Obama’s policies, had urged their members to attend Carnahan’s forum, which in turn spurred Democrats to establish a strong presence.

Inside the gathering, while speakers stuck to aging issues, they were often interrupted by yells from audience members who wanted to shift the focus to health care.

“This isn’t even close to civil,” said Steve Belosi, 52, of Lake Saint Louis, commenting on the crowd. “The rudeness was beyond compare.”

Added Joyce Flecke, 70, of south St. Louis County: “A complete waste of time.”

Yea, pretty much.

Here’s the video of the whole sad affair:

I fail to see what either side thinks they’re accomplishing here.