‘Who Elected Ollie?’ : Police Arrest 11 at Protest Against Speech by North

A demonstration against former Marine Lt. Col. Oliver L. North “got out of hand” before a speech by the Iran-Contra figure, and 11 people were arrested by police, who wrestled some of the protesters to the ground, authorities said.

North, under indictment in the Iran-Contra scandal, spoke at the Waukesha County Exposition Center at a $100-a-plate dinner for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Stephen King Wednesday night.

Earlier, North posed for pictures with King backers for $1,000 apiece at a private home in River Hills.

On one side of the convention center entrance were about 200 anti-North demonstrators, who were carrying placards that read “Selling Arms to Enemies is Treason” and “Who Elected Ollie North to Run the Country?”

Many of the protesters had come by bus from Madison.

“Go back to Madison,” yelled back one of about 60 pro-North demonstrators, carrying signs that read “King for Senate,” “The Sandinistas are anti-Christian,” and “We Love You Oliver North.”

Sheriff’s Lt. Terry Martorano said there was no serious violence and no one was hurt but deputies had to use force to arrest some of the demonstrators. Some demonstrators had to be wrestled to the ground, officials said.

North’s speech was interrupted once by a demonstrator who sneaked into the convention center. North was talking about Vietnam veterans and the time he spent in Vietnam when the protester started shouting, “The Vietnam veterans are outside protesting you.”

The protester was taken away.