Chelsea joins the hecklers at peace rally

The Times (U.K.) ^ | 11/10/2001 | GLEN OWEN

[Pokey78]

CHELSEA CLINTON was among a group of American students which disrupted an anti-war meeting in Oxford, it was revealed last night.

Frustrated at anti-American feeling, the daughter of the former President arrived at the 500-strong meeting in Oxford Town Hall with a dozen friends who heckled speakers.

Miss Clinton, a postgraduate student in international relations at University College, Oxford, her father’s alma mater, has confessed that she is feeling isolated and threatened by the mood she has detected at the university. She found it difficult encountering “anti-American feeling” from peace demonstrators.

As soon as last Thursday’s meeting, organised by the Oxford Stop the War Coalition, began, members of her mostly American group shouted patriotic slogans from the back. Speakers were prevented from continuing after other young Americans approached them and unfurled a Stars and Stripes flag.

Chris Harman, editor of the Socialist Worker, said: “When the group turned up I thought, oh no, we’re going to have some rugby-type fracas, but luckily it was nothing like that.” The flag-bearers were eventually sent back to their seats by a 76-year-old American woman called Barbara, an Oxford resident.

Katy Beinart, a student CND member who spoke at the meeting, said that Miss Clinton had arrived “making a lot of noise”.

When John Haylett, editor of the Morning Star, began to argue that the media had failed to consider the effects of the bombing on Afghan civilians, Miss Clinton and her friends called out that he should remember the victims of the terrorist attacks on New York. Mr Haylett responded that such meetings were the only way to put an alternative viewpoint to that portrayed in the media.

Miss Clinton left with her Secret Service bodyguards shortly afterwards, stopping to buy a copy of the Morning Star from a vendor, and making “yet more noise”, according to Ms Beinart. “It was a shame that Chelsea Clinton felt the need to interrupt a peaceful discussion with what I felt were inappropriate comments,” she said.

Speakers at the meeting, including the MP Jeremy Corbyn, said yesterday that Miss Clinton took their comments too personally.

[veronica]

Bump.

[scamsam]

Never trust anyone related to Bill and Hillary Clinton. These people are pure evil!

[RnMomof7]

I'm gonna puke. How much of this Chelsea swill are we going have shoved down our throats?!

I really like you girl! This is a pre presidential press move for mommy..this is the same "little girl" that hated the US Military..

My guess she wanted to be part of the crowd, and the publicity for mom isn't a bad side effect

[TomGuy]

She has PR handlers...they are spinning her activities at Oxford...she, like both parents, will act according to the mood of the moment.

[uvular]

OK, proof that she still is covered by Secret Service-how many of 'em do you think got stuck with that job?

I was feeling a little lethargic today, but after reading all these Chelsea articles, my blood pressure has shot through the roof!

[FITZ]

She can't be Bill OR Hillary's daughter, they'd be leading the anti-American protests. Chelsea might be a bit of a self-centered privileged kid but she didn't really spend much time with her parents growing up so she might be salvageable. Maybe her nannies instilled some kind of values in her.

[Diogenesis]

While Chelsea's away, X42 does play.

Anyone care to guess where the green thing was?

[Big Bunyip]

Just "preserving her political viability," to paraphrase her stepfather.

[MinuteGal]

The flap over Chelsea's heroics on 911 necessitated some quick damage control on the part of her handlers. "Get thee to an anti-American rally, girl. Make sure a teacher or prof is there as a witness. Wave the flag and shout a little. That oughta do the trick."

Leni

[rightwingextremist1776]

Guess she showed up late and couldn't get to the rest of the crowd! Too many people in her way.

[socal_parrot]

Free Republic, all the Chelsea news thats fit to print. And then some! Will they ever go away.

[witnesstothefall]

Bizarro. A Trotskyite Freeping the Stalinists. A rare and delightful sight.

Chelsea's father's recent public remarks are a national disgrace. How far, I wonder, is she from the tree.

[veronica]

Dear Chelsea, from the NY Press

For another 'take' on Chelsea's recent antics.

[steveo]

I'm gonna puke. How much of this Chelsea swill are we going have shoved down our throats?!

RIGHT! Why now is Hilduhbeast² getting press? The b*tchlett just needs to go shoppin'.

[PJ-Comix]

Miss Clinton left with her Secret Service bodyguards shortly afterwards, stopping to buy a copy of the Morning Star from a vendor, and making “yet more noise”, according to Ms Beinart.

Were these the same Secret Service agent who accompanied her on 9-11?

[Rocko]

Wouldn't it be funny if she became the Patti Davis of her generation?

[mombonn]

This is all well-planned disinformatziatta by Mom to distract from her lies about Chelsea on Sept 11.

Ding, ding, ding - we have a winner!

chelsbilly ain't no patriot, she's an opportunist just like her lowlife parents.

[Southack]

Man, the Girl with Bill in that picture sure resembles Charlotte Dodds...

[EaglesUpForever]

Well, it's a start. I'll be impressed when she starts freeping her parents...

[Samwise]

I'm gonna file this in the too-weird-to-be-true file--at least for now. Chelsea unfurls an American flag in support of a U.S. war effort on the same campus her daddy supposedly burned an American flag to protest an American war effort. This--a day after Chelsea decries the Blame-America-First crowd and her daddy publicly reveals himself to be the main speaker for the Blame-America-First bunch. I'll have to see the film at 11:00 before I accept this one.