Following a speech by Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum, a conference of social conservatives in Washington, D.C. was evacuated due to a “credible threat.”
During Santorum’s speech, police could be seen scanning the room and talking to each other on walky-talkies. After Santorum finished, Ralph Reed, president of the organization sponsoring the conference, stepped to the podium and calmly told the audience they would have to relocate to another room in the building.
After the crowd left, officers swept the room and did not let anyone back downstairs.
“It’s a very specific threat. That’s all I can tell you,” a police officer could be overheard explaining to attendees.
The Road to Majority Conference, hosted by the Faith and Freedom Coalition, brought Republican presidential hopefuls to speak to conservative activists as part of an event focusing on religion and liberty.
No other room in the hotel was evacuated, and hotel functions in the lobby appeared to be continuing as normal.
Republican presidential candidate George Pataki, speaking in a different room, opened by stating that the threat against the conservative conference showed just how at risk freedom is today. His remarks received loud applause.
