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HenchPAC NewsKNOXVILLE Tenn., (Reuters) - Environmental protesters took over Vice President Al Gore's East Tennessee campaign office Monday, chaining themselves together for about three hours before leaving peacefully.
"They just walked in, sat down and locked themselves together," said Wade Till, chairman of the Knox County Democratic Party, from the Democratic presidential candidate's Knoxville office.
No one was arrested, a police spokeswoman said.
The occupation came just weeks before Republicans and Democrats hold their presidential nominating conventions, events expected to draw thousands of activists and protesters.
"It's quite ugly right now," said Petie Wilson, owner of a nearby State Farm insurance office. "They are chanting, screaming and hollering, beating drums."
The scene was quite different inside Gore's office.
"We're getting along fine," Till said.
When the office opened at 10 a.m. four women entered and linked themselves together with a motorcycle chain and several bicycle locks, Till said.
At the same time, witnesses said about 100 others moved in front of the two-story building's entrance and at least two more barricaded themselves on the roof with a banner that said, "The president is for hire."
The activist protesters said they represented several groups who have campaigned on a wide variety of issues over the past year, including protests against the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, and for protecting the environment.
The protesters agreed to leave the office at 1 p.m.
"I did this because I feel it's important to expose the fact that the two-party system doesn't work," explained one of the chained women, Leigh Scherberger, 23. She plans to protest at the Republican convention in Philadelphia during the first week of August.
HENCH adds: Environmentalists protesting Gore? That's like gun owners protesting Bush! Can you believe the bad luck Al has? As Gregory Peck says in Twelve O'clock High, "A man makes his own luck."
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