A black CNN camerawoman covering the Republican National Convention was hit with peanuts by people who said, "this is how we feed animals," the network said.
RNC security and police immediately removed the two people from the Tampa Bay Times Forum after the incident, which CNN said was observed by "multiple witnesses." The people were not identified.
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"CNN can confirm there was an incident directed at an employee inside the Tampa Bay Times Forum earlier this afternoon," CNN said in a statement. "CNN worked with convention officials to address this matter and will have no further comment.”
The convention released a statement saying, “Two attendees tonight exhibited deplorable behavior. Their conduct was inexcusable and unacceptable. This kind of behavior will not be tolerated."
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The incident came as Republicans are attempting, as political parties do at every national convention, to show that they have a big, inclusive tent. Tuesday's speakers included Utah's Mia Love, who will be the first black Republican woman in Congress if she wins in November.
It was one of two race-related incidents that distracted from Republicans' efforts to keep the focus on their presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.
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Yahoo News fired Washington bureau chief David Chalian after he said on Wednesday during an online video broadcast that Romney and his wife Ann did not care about African Americans suffering after Hurricane Issac.
"They're happy to have a party with black people drowning," Chalian said.