Protesters Disrupt Deficit-Reduction Breakfast

Updated: February 19, 2013 | 9:57 a.m.
February 19, 2013 | 8:58 a.m.

Protesters disrupt a Politico breakfast on Feb. 19, 2013. (National Journal/Niraj Chokshi) ()

At least five protesters interrupted a Politico breakfast on deficit reduction Tuesday morning, demanding tax and employment equity.

"Some cuts don't heal," one protester repeated as he was escorted from the room. "How could you entertain the fact that you want to cut Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security," he asked, before security reached him.

OurDC, a non-profit focused on bringing jobs to the District of Columbia, was behind the protest, a spokesman said. The group strives, according to its website, to ensure "the voices of unemployed and under employed city residents are heard and listened to in local and national dialogs on jobs and job creation."

The protest was orchestrated to maximize disruption, with each protester standing up and speaking out as another was escorted from the room.

The breakfast, hosted by Politico chief political correspondent Mike Allen, was the venue for the unveiling of a new deficit-reduction plan from Erskine Bowles, former chief of staff to President Bill Clinton, and Alan Simpson, a former Wyoming senator. The two cofounded the "Campaign to Fix the Debt," a high-profile effort to get the nation's borrowing in line. One protestor criticized the group by name.

After the interruptions, which delayed the start of the event by several minutes, the trio quickly continued with the discussion.

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