What Was That: Protestors Anger Locals

Our What Was That? column addresses small disruptions around town, quirks and oddities that make us ask 'What was that??' Let us know what you thought that was all about in the comments or email any odd occurrences to kellyd@patch.com.

A disturbance occurred in San Anselmo on Saturday surrounding some political signs and left people wondering what was that all about?

According to Det. Cpl. Julie Gorwood, the LaRouche Political Action Committee set up a table on San Anselmo Avenue, near the . The group has previously tabled outside the in Fairfax.

A number of residents called the police about the inflammatory messages of the group, including a poster of Obama with a Hitler mustache.

At 12:55 p.m., a cyclist riding by the set-up on San Anselmo Avenue tore down the posters and challenged one of the protestors to a fight. At 3:06 p.m., one of the members of the group asked the  for assistance breaking up a heated debate.

Gorwood said, however, that the group wasn't breaking any laws. They were exercising their right to free speech in a small location and Pine Street and San Anselmo Avenue. They were not impeding pedestrian traffic. And they parked in a legal parking space from which to hang their posters.

"Our dispatch did hear from several citizens on the telephone and in the lobby about their dissatisfaction of the group being there, but we kindly told them they had a right to free speech and were not currently breaking any law," said Gorwood.