ToledoNewsNow.com: News, Weather A crowd of protesters gathered outside the main entrance to the Toledo Club in Ohio where Republican candidate Mitt Romney held a $50,000 per plate fundraiser luncheon. The event was not open to the
July 19, 2012

ToledoNewsNow.com: News, Weather

A crowd of protesters gathered outside the main entrance to the Toledo Club in Ohio where Republican candidate Mitt Romney held a $50,000 per plate fundraiser luncheon.

The event was not open to the media, and guests were restricted.

Some of the protesters were part of a group called "Our Fight for a Fair Economy." They protested Romney's visit to northwest Ohio alongside community and labor groups. Even an airplane flew overhead with a sign that read, "Tricky Mitt, what are you hiding?"

Local news media estimated the number of protesters at around 36, however by my count there was near 50 in just one of multiple protest groups present.

ToledoNewsNow:

"We are a union town primarily union strong and we want him aware of that. We're going to fight for our union brothers and sisters but also rights of other people," said protester Nancy Bacon.

Marcia Young was among those outside the club. As a 27-year veteran at Toledo Jeep, she wanted to remind Romney of what President Obama did for local auto workers.

"Because of him I have a job. If Romney would have had his way I wouldn't be standing here, I wouldn't have a job, my son wouldn't have a job," said Young. "I probably would have been on the street on the unemployment lines looking for a job and at my age, the picking isn't great."

Protesters called for Romney to release his tax returns to reveal his involvement with Bain Capital.

"If he's not hiding anything then he needs to put it forth. I mean, [it's] as simple as that," said Obama supporter Joann Schiavone.

The Toledo Club features an in-house barber and tailor, two massage therapists, a licensed leather and shoe shine specialist, and weekday baby-sitting services come with the $500 initiation fee and $130 in monthly dues for members between 31 and 35.

Older members pay more. Younger members pay less.

After a controversial incident in 1995 when exotic dancers performed a lingerie show at the annual men's dinner, women members found it easier to eat in the previously segregated grill room, informally still called the men's grill by some.

Romney's schedule was delayed today by several aerosol cans bound with black tape discovered along one of his possible travel routes. The Toledo Bomb Squad was called in and they detonated the cans with a water canon shortly before noon.

Can you help us out?

For nearly 20 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon