Ex-R.I. senator's 'pig' comment at women's protest causes furor
PROVIDENCE Former senator and current State House lobbyist Stephen Alves sparked outrage among the women-in-white protesting a bylaws change at Mondays Rhode Island Democratic State Committee meeting with a pig comment that is now playing out repeatedly on Twitter.
Alves, who is a member of the Democrats state committee and a lobbyist for an affiliate of IGT is on video saying, If a pig grunts, you dont grunt back after a confrontation with one of the women that got so heated, a sergeant at arms was sent over to try to calm the situation while another of the protesters recorded the incident.
The video is a bit noisy, but you can clearly hear him say, If a pig grunts, you dont grunt back, which is a totally gross and wholly unacceptable thing to say to female activists,? state Sen. Sam Bell said Thursday.
In response to a Journal inquiry, Alves texted this statement: On Monday night I entered a room that was filled with an enormous amount of energy and emotion. I was at the back of the room that was quite crowded and in that confined space people were shouting insults and cursing in my direction including calling me a misogynist.
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