By Ryan P. Dixon
1. They read from pre-printed talking points provided by the union
2. They stage their protest to look good on TV cameras during a news report
3. They taunt a man who dissents from their views by calling him a racist and a wife-beater.
Yesterday I went to a SEIU protest outside of The Padre Hotel in Bakersfield, CA. Inside Meg Whitman, who is running for Governor of California against Jerry Brown, was having a fundraiser. The SEIU was out in full force handing out bullet points for when their members talked to the press, intimidating people who were attending the fundraiser as well as customers of The Padre Hotel.
They did not care about any customers of the private business with their loud megaphones and their non-stop chanting like robots. When the news showed up, one of the SEIU members directed all of them to walk behind the reporter in a circle and chant loud. As if they couldn't think for themselves.
I did two interviews with two of their members, one of which after she found out why I was their did not want to be on camera. One of the SEIU members had recognized me from the news or one of my past videos fighting the local carpenters union protesting a church. After he told the coordinators of the protest who I was, I did not receive the chance to interview any more people.
A man leaving the Padre Hotel was confronted and was accused of being a racist as he tried to get in his car. Before he got in his car a protester actually said "Yeah, go home and cuss at your kids and beat your wife dumb ass!" When he was driving off the SEIU members rushed to the corner of the stop light and were shouting "Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!" and cheered as he drove away.
After an hour all of them stopped protesting, even though Meg Whitman and several television stations were there. I guess the SEIU didn't have enough money to protest more than an hour.