Politics

College Dems Slam GOP Rep For Small Town Hall Space, Offer Larger Room

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Phillip Stucky Political Reporter
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Republican Rep. Tom Garrett planned to host a town hall event at the University of Virginia on March 31, but College Democrats booked a larger room to make space for anticipated protesters, according to a Thursday report from the Daily Progress.

Garrett officially booked a room in the Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy that holds a maximum 135 people, and the Democrats want to use a much larger room that holds up to 500 people.

“Hey Congressman Tom Garrett, we noticed that your town hall space only has room for 135 of your constituents,” the group’s Facebook post reads. “We took the liberty of booking a much larger room on Grounds that seats three times as many people for the same day at the same time.”

Progressive protest group Indivisible held an unofficial town hall for the representative, and 1,000 people showed up to voice their disapproval of the freshman lawmaker.

“While many representatives have opted not to hold town halls at all, we are working to ensure residents of the 5th [District] are heard while ensuring safety and organization for attendees in the process,” Garrett’s official statement said.

“The venue and format for our town hall at the Batten School was designed to ensure Rep. Garrett can engage with constituents and discuss any concerns they have, while avoiding some of the chaos we have seen around the country.”

Garrett’s office issued tickets, allocated by a lottery system from those who had previously expressed interest.

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