(I go to Lakeland to visit my father. There is a BBQ place we frequent near Plant City. Great ribs!)
The same type of thing happened with me.
Here in the Monterey, California area, there was a mock U.S. Marine invasion a couple years ago. The usual Leftist crowd came down from Santa Cruz, joining local Leftists to protest the Marine training exercise, which was an urban warfare type of training in the event of a terrorist attack. (It is ironic this was before the Sept. 11 attack and I did not know of Free Republic at the time.)
The exercise was to begin at the Naval Postgraduate school with a Marine landing and conclude at the Defense Language Institute at the top of the hill.
I made up a big sign that said: "Welcome USMC" in great big letters on top, and in smaller letters below (Clintong was still president); "Liberate us from the Democratic Party Scum." (poetry)
I distanced myself from the smelly hippies about 50 yds. down the street. I was getting waves and honks of passers by (and a few middle fingers, as this is a major Leftist haven). I ended up on the 18:00 KSBW News (6 p.m.) and paraphrased George Washington, 'To secure the peace, is to be prepared for war.'
Of course, the news people neglected to show my reinforcements, who were the 101st Airborne WWII veterans across the street, complete with an olive drab and white starred Jeep, and U.S. flags.
It was interesting that I was approached by two people, one who appeared to be U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer in dark, dark sunglasses. They attempted to intimidate me with sophist arguments, leading questions and physically crowding my space. I finally told them to go pound sand and get away from me.