Violence broke out during Teresa Heinz Kerry’s appearance at McDonald Theatre on Thursday after a University student interrupted her speech, loudly proclaiming his support for President Bush.
Senior political science major and College Republicans member Anthony Warren said he was attacked and forcibly removed from the room by Kerry supporters after yelling “four more years” just as Heinz Kerry, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry, had begun speaking.
“It was like trying to survive a lynch mob,” Warren said of the attack, adding that he was hit “so many times it’s hard to remember the details.”
Warren, 22, was released from Sacred Heart Medical Center on Thursday afternoon with what he called “severe head trauma and contusions.” A hospital representative said Warren sustained “no serious injuries.”
Willamette High School senior Chelsea Yocum said she was just a few feet away from Warren when the violence broke out and was impressed by how eloquently Heinz Kerry handled the interruption.

“She was diplomatic, and that’s what she was talking about in her speech,” Yocum said.
Heinz Kerry addressed Warren directly, telling him, “If you have any questions I’d be happy to answer them but please don’t interrupt.”
The incident lasted just a few minutes, with the chant of “four more years” quickly drowned out by a thundering chant of “four more weeks.”
Lois Medbock, who drove from Portland to see Heinz Kerry, said she did not expect to see a protester because of Eugene’s reputation for overt liberalism.
Warren said the liberal reputation Medbock spoke of is part of the reason he attended the event.
“For some reason, people are just so engulfed with liberalism that they don’t realize that conservatives do exist in this town,” Warren said, emphasizing that the event was advertised as free and open to the public.
“I was just there to show the other side and show support for President Bush,” he said. “The people that did what they did to me are a bunch of hypocrites.”
According to Eugene Police spokeswoman Kerry Delf, no suspects have been identified in the assault, but Warren said he plans on filing charges as soon as he can.
“Hopefully they’ve got information on the guy and I can press charges,” Warren said.
University student and College Democrats member Gabriel Zitrin said the outburst was immature but something to be expected in a country that encourages political debate, adding that Heinz Kerry did not let the interruption affect her performance.

“This is the third time I’ve heard her speak and the third time she’s completely inspired me,” he said.
Heinz Kerry spoke for about 30 minutes,
addressing the current administration’s failures in the areas of health care, education and women’s issues while explaining her husband’s plan for combating them.
About 1,100 people attended the event, putting McDonald Theatre at full capacity and forcing event coordinators to turn away an estimated 300 more people.
Heinz Kerry emphasized the need for the country to work with other countries “with a generosity that is not condescending, with strength that is not threatening and with a heart full of pride that is not arrogant.”
Several prominent Eugene politicians spoke before Heinz Kerry, praising the Kerrys for their commitment to health care, education and women’s rights.
“The Bush administration’s war on women has been unrelenting,” Mayor-elect Kitty Piercy said. “They have put science at the mercy of this administration’s moral bias.”
University graduate student Nathan Corwin said hearing Heinz Kerry discuss education and the need for responsible scientific research has aided in his transformation from anti-Bush to pro-Kerry.
“Every time I hear her or Kerry speak I like them more and more,” Corwin said.
Warren said much of what Heinz Kerry and her husband say about the Bush administration “are outright lies,” and he felt it was necessary to show the community and the media that Republicans do exist and not everyone believes the rhetoric that is repeated by the Kerry campaign.

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Senior news reporter Parker Howell
contributed to this story