Hundreds of convention goers were shut out of Time Warner Cable Arena for a period of time last night while they waited to hear rousing speeches by Sandra Fluke, Austin Ligon, and Jim Sinegal. As the Associated Press reported:
Authorities are citing crowding concerns for their decision to briefly prevent some tightly packed crowds from entering.
Fire Marshal Rob Kinniburgh says the building was not closed but entrance was delayed because of safety concerns. He tells the AP that 1,000 people will be let in "and then we'll reassess."
The Washington Free Beacon has breaking news that the real American hero behind this massive traffic jam is a registered Republican. According to the North Carolina State Board of Elections, Deputy Chief and Fire Marshal Rob Kinniburgh has been a registered Republican since 1980.
Kinniburgh’s decision led to pandemonium among reporters. The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank tweeted "Mayhem at #dnc2012." The Times Of London’s Matt Spence said "Complete nightmare for the DNC … #DNCFAIL." Nico Hines, also of The Times Of London, tweeted "Democratic convention descending into farce. After ‘booing God’ debacle, delegates, and media locked out of the convention by fire marshals."