Young Republican Couple Savagely Beaten In New Orleans, Friday Night After Protest (UPDATED)

Here’s the bare bones story, via KSLA:

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s chief campaign fundraiser is recovering from injuries she suffered in a Friday night altercation with a group of people in the French Quarter.

The governor’s office said Monday that Allee Bautsch suffered a broken leg and her boyfriend suffered a concussion and fractured nose and jaw in the alleged incident, which happened after a fundraising event at Brennan’s Restaurant on behalf of the Louisiana Republican Party.

Jindal was at the event, but was not present when the incident occurred.

Jindal spokesman Kyle Plotkin says Bautsch had surgery over the weekend and is facing a recovery time of 2 to three months. He says New Orleans police are investigating the incident and the governor’s office would have no further comment.

The attack happened shortly after a group of anarchists protesting the SRLC outside the Hilton Riverside had dispersed:

This Anarchist report, via Louisiana’s premier conservative blog, The Hayride mentions that protesters marched down to the restaurant:

Anarchists took to the streets in New Orleans on Friday to protest the SRLC, marching to the Hilton Hotel, where a banner was hanging from the roof which said “We won’t pay for their crisis. Become the crisis!” —- The march then headed to Brennan’s Restaurant, where a $10,000 a plate SRLC dinner was in progress. Brennan’s is notorious as the largest donor to the LA Restaurant Association, which sued to block a $1 minimum wage raise that was approved by voters in New Orleans in 2002. —- Protesters marched against traffic and lost the police on the way, and attempted to storm the restaurants doors after chants echoed off the walls in the narrow French Quarter streets. The police arrived just as people started to stream through the doors and they pushed everyone back outside. SRLC delegates were forced to walk a gauntlet of protesters chanting “they say cut backs, we say fight back!” as they exited the restaurant.

The Hayride has been busy filling in the blanks:

The Brennan’s Beatdown: Piecing Together A Story (Updated, 2:15 p.m)

It was originally reported that the couple was attacked because they were wearing Sarah Palin pins, but that story hasn’t panned out. While it is possible that what happened was a result of random violence, the implications are that it may have been something more.

I was surprised to hear about the story, since I was there over the weekend, (I took the picture above), and never heard anything about it while I was there. But as The Hayride asserts,last weekend was a particularly violent weekend for New Orleans:

But most importantly, while the attack on Allee Bautsch and Joe Brown has significant national importance in defining the true nature of political violence in America, as a local matter it wasn’t the really big news in New Orleans over the weekend. While outrageous and awful, what happened to Bautsch and Brown paled in comparison to the outright carnage that was also going on throughout the city. To wit:

A suicide-by-cop in New Orleans East Friday night;
A man murdered by a shot to the head in New Orleans East on Saturday;
Eight people shot on the corner of Canal and Royal Saturday night, within a couple of blocks of a full police deployment;
A murder in Marrero early Sunday morning;
A triple shooting in the Bayou St. John area on Monday morning;
A double murder in the 7th Ward on Monday afternoon.

With a police blotter that full, it really isn’t that much of a surprise that an attack which didn’t involve someone dying or gunplay wasn’t an immediate big story. Should what is being reported pan out, however, it’s likely the Brennan’s attack will have more legs than the others.

Here was a scene we came across on our way to the Court of the Two Sisters:

A woman sprawled out in the street – 613 Royal, Sat night

New Orleans has a very high crime rate, no doubt about it.

If it turns out to have been politically motivated, I will be blogging more about it, as it follows a pattern of left-wing violence against conservatives that the media chooses to ignore.

Hat tip: Gateway Pundit who has a picture of the couple.

See also:

Hot Air: Jindal staffer beaten in New Orleans during SRLC

Michelle Malkin: A cautionary note about the beating in New Orleans; Update: No Palin pins involved

UPDATE:

1. A picture has surfaced (see Gateway Pundit) that proves that the anarchists did indeed march to Brennan’s to protest outside the restaurant.

2. The police report has been released:

Superintendent Warren J. Riley and members of the New Orleans Police are asking the public’s assistance in locating and identifying several suspects wanted in connection with an incident that occurred in the 600 block of Saint Louis Street . The incident occurred Friday April 9, 2010, at approximately 10:45 P.M.
According to investigators, the victims were walking from a function at a restaurant in the 400 block of Royal Street . When they entered the 600 block of Saint Louis Street , three to five Caucasian males made derogatory comments to the 25-year-old female and her 28-year-old male friend. When the male victim turned towards the group of men, one or more of the suspects struck the victim several times. At some point the female victim fell to the ground and screamed. The suspects then fled on foot. Officers in the area heard the female screaming and responded to the scene and broadcasted a description of the suspects and requested Emergency Medical Paramedics. As the female was waiting for EMS , she used her purse as a pillow. When the victim was in the ambulance, she discovered her purse was missing.

The female was transported to a hospital where she was treated for a broken leg.   The male victim was also transported to the hospital and was treated for a mild concussion, fractured jaw and nose.

One of the suspects was described as a Caucasian male who appeared to be dirty, in his 20’s, 6’1″ tall, thin build with a thin face. He had a beard and auburn color hair in a pony tail. He was wearing a light color T shirt and dark color pants.

The incident is on-going and detectives are in the process of determining if any surveillance cameras captured the incident.

Investigators are currently working on the incident and at this time the report is not available. Notification will be made to the media when the report is complete and ready for dissemination.

Investigators are in the process of identifying the suspects, as well as a motive.   Eighth District Detective Sergeant Nicholas Gernon is in charge of the investigation. Citizens with information that can help solve this crime are asked to call CRIMESTOPPERS at 822-1111, toll-free 1-877-903-STOP(7867). You could receive a cash reward of up to $2,500.00 for information leading to the arrest and indictment of the responsible person(s). You do not have to give your name nor testify to receive the reward.

One of the suspects was described as a Caucasian male who appeared to be dirty, in his 20’s, 6’1″ tall, thin build with a thin face. He had a beard and auburn color hair in a pony tail. He was wearing a light color T shirt and dark color pants.

The Freepers have found a picture of a guy from the protest who fits the bill.

See The Hayride for more info about the protesters/anarchists.

UPDATE II (4/14):

The Hayride updates with video documentation that the protest outside of Brennan’s restaurant had turned ugly:

So now we have evidence that the protest at Brennan’s was significantly more intense than at the Hilton, and the protesters were driven away by the police. We know for a fact that some of the Iron Rail people not only organized the relocation to Brennan’s but they were there. We see some pretty explicit animus toward Jindal and the folks who were at his fundraiser.

What we don’t know is that any of the protestors were still at Brennan’s when Allee Bautsch and Joe Brown left, or whether they were involved in the attack. But given that neither were robbed and that the attack on them was a lot more than a little scuffle or a hit-and-run, which is evidence that they were beaten with a purpose, wouldn’t it seem most likely to suspect a relationship?

The New Orleans Police say they’re looking for leads. Perhaps they should look at 511 Marigny Street.

UPDATE III:

The Hayride asks a good question: What If It Had Been Mary’s People?

UPDATE IV:

SRLC Brennan’s Beatdown Looking Politically Motivated