"Mic check": Occupy protesters interrupt Obama

Updated 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time

A group of protesters seemingly affiliated with the "Occupy" movement interrupted President Obama's speech in Manchester, New Hampshire on Tuesday, engaging in a call-and-response protest for about 20 seconds before being drowned out by Mr. Obama's supporters.

"Mic check!" yelled a voice from the crowd as Mr. Obama was giving a speech calling on Congress to pass and extend a payroll tax cut. Other protesters repeated "mic check," in the style of the Occupy protests, as Mr. Obama halted his speech and looked out into the crowd.

"Mr. President, over 4,000 peaceful protesters," the lead protester began, his words then repeated by the other protesters. They then made reference to those protesters being arrested, though their words became difficult to hear.

At this point those in the crowd began booing and chanting "Fired up, ready to go," prompting Mr. Obama to say, "no, no, no, it's ok. It's ok."

"All right, OK guys," he continued, trying to calm the crowd as supporters started chanting "Obama" over the protesters.

"I'm going to be talking about a whole range of things today, and I appreciate you guys making your point, let me go ahead and make mine," he said. "All right? And I'll listen to you, you listen to me." The comment prompted applause from the audience.

He went on to reference the movement twice more in his remarks. 

"A lot of the folks who've been down in New York and all across the country in the 'Occupy' movement, there is a profound sense of frustration, there's a profound sense of frustration about the fact that the essence of the American dream, which is that if you work hard, if you stick to it that you can make it, feels like that's slipping away," said the president. "And that's not the way things are supposed to be, not here, not in America. This is a place where your hard work and your responsibility's supposed to pay off, it's supposed to be a big, compassionate country where everybody who works hard should have a chance to get ahead, not just the person who owns the factory, but then men and women who work on the factory floor."

The protesters handed out their full message on paper to the assembled press.

"Mr. President, over 4000 peaceful protesters have been arrested while bankers continue to destroy the American economy," it said. "You must stop the assault on our 1st Amendment rights. Your silence sends a message that police brutality is acceptable. Banks got bailed out. We got sold out."

Obama: $1,000 tax hike if Congress won't act

[cbsblogger]

Occupy Wall St and the Tea Party have much in common in opposing the corruption of the establishment, but the media made sure they were kept divided.

[dantom39]

Not the messiah. How dare they.

[USSAmerikan]

Republican, Democrat, Tea Party or Socialist or what color, race or creed our current president belongs to is not an issue to many of us who know or have heard of folks who just had one of the toughest Thanksgiving in their entire lives, on account of being members of that 15% of real unemployment that our proud nation is being subjected to. The fact is that this nation is in crisis and although Obama promised he'd deliver us, unemployment just continues to grow, not because he does not understand how a Capitalist economy is supposed to work but I believe it is because his extreme leftist sentiments have him convinced that all this country needs to go full Socialist is enough hungry, unemployed folks... These OWS folks are missing the point... He is with those of them who want to overthrow Capitalism, but of course, he can't overtly show it.
Democrats should give the nomination to Hillary, who could benefit from her first-hand connection with the man who balanced the budget, created 22 million jobs, most of them in the private sector, (we had 4% unemployment!!!) and gave us 4% average growth for 116 consecutive months!!! See folks, that is what a real "New Democrat" can achieve for us. Of course, if Hillary is not on the ballot and we continue with 9%+ unemployment, Romney, Gingrich or the Grinch himself, if his name is on the ballot, will win over Obama...

[MrRight911]

Innovation caused the market boom under Clinton. I wish you and everyone else would stop being Media slaves and separate party politics. On the other hand, you are probably a left vrs right paradigm troll. The very problem with America. Infiltration, deception, and paid off social media opinionators. What idiot would believe in left vrs right?

Did Obama write the Obama health care, or did he havve Mit Romneys help? Did George Bush write the Patriot act, or did he have help from CO Founder Biden?

So WHAT that America did well in the brief innovation, creation, then thief of not only the internet, but 90% of the IT field? Call Dell help lines. You'll get "John" from India, who attempts a fake Texas accent.

Seriously, WAKE UP!!! Hillary is apart of the problem. She is on the Walmart board and fights/supports Unions. It's all BS. What happened to the Walmart slogan "only items made in America". That wasn't 30 years ago, it was less than 15.

People like you who are so eloquent scare me.

It's less likely you are ignorant of the Free Trade act (a Bipartisan movement) and more likely that you are simply a sell out. Someone who chooses to support the left vrs right paradigm for pay.

[dan_webster]

Obama is busy PROTECTING the Wall Street banks from prosecution, not prosecuting them for fraud as he ought. He's bought and paid for by Goldman Sachs, he's already protected the biggest fraudsters, Bernanke, Paulson and Geithner, and now he is interfering with the justice process in New York to protect the mortgage fraudsters from jail. The PEOPLE need these fraudsters IN PRISON. It's the President's job to uphold the law and speed justice. We IMPEACHED a President for Obstruction of Justice.
http://rock-prog.org/2011/08/obama-to-nys-ag-schneiderman-dont-do-your-job/

[longtree-2009]

thinking big money helped obama get elected not just the dollars of moms and pops across the country. big money donors probably got appointments and jobs in obama's administration. obama has the tough job of not biting the hands that fed him into office.

[guest173]

Protesters can't just pitch a tent and plop down in a park and expect everyone to be happy they're there. Police for the most part do a good job and have a hard job already fighting against murderers, thieves, rapists, etc. I hate the banks tactics but that's why I don't use them and haven't ever had a bank account (although I do have a non-profit credit union account). Learn to read fine print and stay in your budget and you'll have less problems in life with scams.

[guest173]

and don't forget if it seems too good to be true it probably is. there's a sucker born every minute.

[steve-annie]

Interesting that this story nowhere mentions that later in the speech the President referred to the protesters again, saying that they were one reason he ran for President in the first place, or words to that effect.

I saw the live broadcast. It reminded me that he used to say that we would have to "make him" do things because he would have all those Washington voices in his ears, and that is exactly what the Occupy movement is trying to do.

[DHS2020]

Kill your labels
Kill your parties
Come together
Oust all incumbents.

[Kiekie752]

Hey ... Wal-Mart in DC is training and hiring. Will Occupy Wall Street protestors go there and try to get a job? I doubt it, they'd rather whine.

[josephp5]

Hey...There isn't a single Wal-Mart within DC limits. But then you obviously don't know what you are talking about.

[MurdochSucks]

The movement isn't just about unemployment. It is disgust at the broken system which favors wealth inequality and a further separation of the classes.

[chrismullinaxcm]

I was for the occupy movement up until this point. This just proves a point my friend made that they're just whiny and just polarize and damage the country further. The worst part is they won't do anything to actually change anything. Even the tea party did a better job, because they actually funded campaigns and put people into office. They just disrespected the one guy who had the balls to change anything-unlike them. They're worse than the tea party in some aspects, because they won't even work with liberals who are in power, and make unrealistic goals with no effort. What, everything is supposed to be magically fixed instantly? And if it isn't they automatically blame the black guy.

[MTATL67]

I agree it was rude but his reaction is what stands out. He did not have them escorted from the building he did not tell them Get a job after the take a bath-Gingrich, Un-American-Mr. Cain Ignorant-Bachman, Mob-Cantor or Dangerous-Romney.

[DHS2020]

Your myopia scares me.