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Town hall meeting on health care turns into spectacle
A town hall meeting on President Obama's health care reform proposal turned into a spectacle Thursday.
TAMPA (Bay News 9) -- A town hall meeting to talk about President Obama's health care reform proposal turned into a near-riot in Tampa.
Hundreds of people packed into the Children's Board offices in Ybor City for the meeting sponsored by state Rep. Betty Reed and the Service Employees International Union.
But when guest speaker U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor tried to talk about health care reforms, protesters started screaming and booing, drowning her out.
"I was afraid they were going to jump on her at one time," said health care reform supporter Ann Jenkins. "They were all in her face trying to scream. What they were trying to scream and nobody knows what that was and nothing got accomplished."
"Of course, I can't pass up an opportunity to basically let my feelings be known," said health care reform protester Chris Seeger.
Sponsors closed the doors on the overflowing crowd, leaving hundreds more pounding on the doors, waiting in the halls and chanting outside.
Several people in the crowd claim they were physically attacked.
Tampa Police were called in to get the situation under control.
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