Code Pink protest interrupts Romney

TAMPA, Fla. — At least two protesters interrupted Mitt Romney's nomination acceptance speech Thursday before being removed from the venue.

Just after Romney began his remarks, a pair of protesters stood up in the Tampa Bay Times Forum to his right. Waving a pair of pink banners reading, “Democracy is not a business,” they began to chant, “People over profits!”

A spokesman for Code Pink said four people protested the speech and were detained. From the convention floor, a separate disturbance could be heard in the upper deck.

The GOP faithful gathered in the forum immediately responded to the intrusion, drowning out the chants with their own of “USA! USA!” while Romney waited silently for the disruption to subside.

A number of GOP convention officials swarmed the protesters to physically remove them from the arena, and one person seated next to them tried to rip away one of the flags.

The protesters resisted, and it ultimately took nearly a minute for the disruption to be settled and the protesters removed.

According to Code Pink, the protesters were Tighe Barry, Madea Benjamin, Karen Boyer and Rae Abileah, who is the co-director of the group's San Francisco branch.

“I want a government by and for the people instead of a government that puts profits over people and panders to corporate interests," Abileah said in a statement.

The group also said that Barry was “violently attacked” and choked by an audience member.