Occupy(Des Moines) protesters unable to meet with Democratic official

Jan 1, 2012 Occupy Des Moines demonstrators went to the Democratic National Committee’s “war room” in downtown Des Moines twice on Sunday to try to meet with the committee’s chairwoman, but the party says she won’t be in town until late tonight. A day after police made 18 arrests at sometimes-heated rallies at political offices in the metro area, protesters carried out several more subdued actions Sunday. One man was arrested at Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign offices in Des Moines. More events are expected Monday and Tuesday, before the Iowa caucuses officially kick off the presidential campaign. Spokesman Stephen Toothman said new plans won’t be made until a meeting Monday morning. Protesters have repeatedly emphasized that they do not intend to cause any disruptions to voting Tuesday night. Sunday’s protest activities began with about 20 people hand-delivering a letter about 1:30 p.m. to national Democratic officials who said they set up shop at Hotel Savery to counter claims by Republicans seeking the presidency about President Barack Obama and others. The letter asked for U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, the committee chairwoman, to attend a town hall forum Monday and asked for a response by 6 p.m. Sunday. Committee regional spokesman Michael Czin listened to an Occupy protester read the letter in the hotel lobby and then took it with him. At 6:01, Toothman said, protesters were informed by phone that Wasserman Schultz wouldn’t be around Monday. “It’s the same message that we’ve been getting from the Democrats and Republicans all week,” Toothman said. “They don’t want to hear what ordinary, average people have to say.” Another group went back to the hotel about 6:30 p.m. Protesters said they weren’t allowed inside a meeting room during a news conference, but six people went inside afterward and taped dollar bills and other items over their mouths. A Des Moines police officer arrived and asked the six whether they wanted to leave or go to jail. They left. Nathan Adeyemi, 28, of Cedar Rapids said protesters would have asked Wasserman Schultz why Obama signed the National Defense Authorization Act, whose provisions on detention of suspected terrorists have been criticized. Czin said late Sunday that Wasserman Schultz wasn’t in Iowa when the request was made. In a news release, Occupy Des Moines said Democrats should have told them earlier that the chairwoman wouldn’t be available.