Confrontation flared outside Monday's GOP debate

While the public focused on the four GOP debaters on the University of South Florida stage, one of the most heated confrontations Monday night was on the lawn outside.

Trying to prevent a fight from breaking out, USF Police got between an agitated group of students and supporters of Terry Jones, the Florida pastor who became notorious in 2010 when he threatened to burn the Koran. He later carried out his threat.

Jones, who says he's a candidate for president, and his group of about 20 people were among hundreds who came to USF's MLK Plaza with their signs of protest and support for the Republican Party and the candidates on stage.

USF had set up a big tent where people could watch the debate on a projection screen. Early on the atmosphere was more like a party than a protest, but the balmy night seemed to heat up as the crowd grew and people divided into factions.

The Jones group marched around the plaza carrying signs saying, "Ban Sharia," and, "Obama is a Moslem." A man with a bullhorn led the way, exhorting against gay marriage and illegal immigrants.

Meanwhile, a larger contingent of the Tampa chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, Occupy Tampa and Occupy USF coalesced and began to march. They, too, had a speaker with a bullhorn, shouting condemnation of Republicans.

Several times, Jones supporters marched up to the SDS crowd chanting "deport all illegal immigrants" and "impeach Obama," prompting counter chants of "no more hate."

During one encounter, a student darted toward a Jones supporter, grabbed her sign and with the help of other students tore it into pieces.

Others began to surround Jones and his group, picking off their signs and shredding them.

"I could get into this," one man said as he ripped a "Ban Sharia" sign.

About that time, members of the USF Police moved in and urged people to calm down and back away from each other.

"We told them, 'If you want to come out here and peacefully protest, fine. Keep your hands off each other and you can protest.'" said USF Police Lt. Chris Daniels.

The crowds melted away and there were no more scuffles outside.

Jones condemned the protesters in a news release on Tuesday, saying, "We were attacked, assaulted, pushed, shoved. Those who formed human-chains blocked the sidewalks."

But "this will not deter us," he said. He and his group, "Stand up America!" plan to be at the GOP debate in Jacksonville on Thursday.

While some students reveled in the attack on Jones, several criticized it.

"This isn't free speech," said Peter Murphy, a senior, who wasn't with Jones but had a sign critical of Newt Gingrich ripped out of his hands.

"It's sort of funny. Everyone's out here trying to express their freedom of speech and they start tearing up people's signs."

"We need people speaking out, no matter what they say," said Riley Bednar, a USF sophomore.

The only other incident of the night was inside the debate theater, Daniels said.

A man became agitated by a camera set up near his head, and he pushed it away, toppling it from its stand.

He was escorted out of the debate, Daniels said, as was his companion when she, too, became upset.

"Overall it was a good night. We had a couple of hiccups, but no one got hurt."