Angry protesters pursue US Senate leader outside restaurant

A group of angry protesters pursued US Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell as he was leaving from a restaurant in Kentucky, berating him with a mixture of immigration rhetoric and personal insults, a media report said.

McConnell, who supports President Donald Trump's administration's detention of families who illegally cross the border but opposed the president's short-lived policy of separating parents from their children, was having lunch on Saturday at Bristol Bar and Grille, in his hometown, reports The Washington Post.

At the same time, hundreds of people were protesting outside Louisville's Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office, just a few miles from the restaurant.

Among them were leaders of the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America.

When a member spotted McConnell at the restaurant and asked for help confronting him, the socialist group spread the word on social media.

At least half a dozen people, several with cameras, were waiting in front of the restaurant when McConnell walked out.

"Vote you out, vote you out!" the crowd began to chant.

"Where are the children?" one of them asked. The crowd also asked the Republican leader, "Where are the babies, Mitch?", called him "Turtle head!", and also threatened by saying "We know where you live, too, Mitch! We know where you live! Yeah! We know where you live, Mitch!".

The crowd also chanted, "Abolish ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), abolish ICE!" and "No comfort for fascists!".

On Sunday, McConnell's spokesman, David Popp told The Washington Post: "If the Leader comments on being called a fascist and a supporter of ICE by a small handful of extremist protesters then I will let you know."

Saturday's encounter was the second one to occur to McConnell in the last two weeks.

In late June, the senator and his wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, were confronted by protesters in Washington, D.C., while leaving an event at Georgetown University.

--IANS

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