Lauren Valle of MoveOn.org was stomped by a Rand Paul Supporter outside the Jack Conway/Rand Paul debate.
Lauren was there as part of Moveon.org's latest campaign to present Rand Paul with the Employee of the Month Award from Republicorp™ and several people in the crowd surrounded her, stripped her of a blonde wig and wrestled her to the ground. One man is seen stomping on her head as she lays on the sidewalk
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"I'm here to present Rand Paul with the Employee of the Month award, however his supporters were not very nice to me and my message which is same as everyone else. I got my head stepped on and I have a bit of a headache," said Lauren Valle, MoveOn.org.
During the Health Care Debate, in Missouri, Kenneth Gladney knocked over a disabled SEIU worker, and was pushed down in the ensuing effort to help the man up. It was said that he was "beaten down by SEIU uinion thugs" even though the video told a different story.
In this video, there is no "story".
Update: Video Complete! Thanks for you paitence!
We can't let these thugs win. GOTV and Donate to Conway
Update 2: h/t marigold
Rand Paul Campaign Responds:
Faux News Link
A spokesman for Rand Paul said,"Violence of any kind has no place in our civil discourse and we urge supporters on all sides to be civil to one another as tensions rise heading toward this very important election"
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Update 3: Video up now Fox and here's how they're billing it:
Screenshot
More Updates:
From WTVQ TV
As Paul stepped from his vehicle a woman, who identified herself to ABC 36 News as with moveon.org, approached Paul. She was wearing a wig and had a Paul sticker on her shirt. She had a sign which members of movon.org, according to the group’s website, are using to pose as RepubliCorp, a fictitious merger between corporations and the Republican Party.
According to Lexington Police Lt. Chris VanBrackle as the woman pushed her way to the front someone grabbed her blonde wig off her head and she tripped and fell to the ground. Video shot by ABC 36 News shows what appears to be a Paul supporter stomping on her. She refused treatment. An assault report was filed but no arrests have been made.
[emphasis mine]
And from TPM: h/t twocollier
At the end of the clip, Valle is alert and speaking with the press. However, MoveOn's political director Ilyse Hogue tells TPM that Valle is in the hospital and they're awaiting word on her condition. We'll get you more information when we have it.
We have a call out to the Lexington police department's public affairs office for further comment. According to WTVQ, an assault report was filed but there have been no arrests.
There is also a report that a Jack Conway supporter stomped on the foot of a Rand Paul supporter.
Per KYPost.com
The second fight occurred after a Conway supporter stepped on the foot of a female Rand supporter, who recently had foot surgery.
The woman was wearing a surgical boot, but after the injury, her incision was cut open. Police say she refused medical treatment and also filed an assault report.
No arrests were made at the debate. No other information is available at this time. Check back with WCPO.com and 9 News for updates.
Still waiting on violent video of Conway supporters encircling Paul supporter and slamming her to the ground to enable her to stomp on her foot. That said, I am disappointed that we had injuries from our side. Having had foot surgery in the past, I know I wouldn't go to a rally right after.
One more update for the night, then I have to go to bed. Have grandbabies to watch in the early morning.
From Huffpo's Sam Stein Word from the Jack Conway campaign as well as the Attorney General:
Mark Riddle, a senior adviser for the Conway campaign, tells The Huffington Post that Conway reached out to Valle after the incident took place to make sure she was all right. He did not get through to her at the hospital but was able to talk to a friend or associate who was there.
The Attorney General, Riddle relays, was inside the venue when the incident took place and didn't hear about it until after the fact. Police officials did, however, brief campaign officials in the green room during the course of the debate to alert them to what had transpired outside.
"Everyone is hoping she is okay and I don't think anybody believes this sort of behavior is tolerable," said Riddle. "We can disagree on issues and be passionate about them but I don't think there is any room for someone throwing a young lady to the ground and stomping her on the head no matter how much they disagree with her."
