Pig Roast Rally Protests Young, Stevens and Murkowski

The Anchorage Daily News made it out to Rep. Don Young’s (R-AK) pig roast fund-raiser last night, where a boisterous crowd of 70 to 80 protesters shouted from the street.

Outside Don Young’s annual pig roast fundraiser on Wednesday night, a raucous crowd of all ages and political persuasions taunted the guests with shouts of “oink, oink,” waved signs against corruption and big money in politics, and generally protested anything Young was for.

Protesters also voiced their opposition to special guests Sens. Ted Stevens and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) who made an appearance.

It might seem from a national perspective that an assembly of 70 to 80 people is a low turnout, but the Daily News calls it “remarkable.” When I spoke with protest-organizer John Farleigh yesterday he said he hoped a dozen people would join him, and if 15 showed up he’d consider it a success.

The crowd had some great exchanges with party guests, like political consultant Art Hackney.

“I find this outrageous,” Hackney said. “To me, the story is these guys who are stirring this up. Go look into them, because they have a helluva worse history than the people serving Alaska in the United States Congress.”

As he spoke, the crowd closed in.

“Shame, shame, shame!” they roared at Hackney.

“Two wrongs make a right?” one man asked.

Alaska’s congressional delegation “built Alaska,” Hackney said.

“Take Alaska back!” people in the crowd began shouting.

It sounds like everyone had a good time. Even Young, who left smiling, given that more people (200) attended his fundraiser than the protest.