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Angry protesters greet Romney in Philly

Protesters greeted presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney during a visit Thursday to a charter school in a poor black Philadelphia neighborhood. May 1 file photo UPI/John Angelillo
Protesters greeted presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney during a visit Thursday to a charter school in a poor black Philadelphia neighborhood. May 1 file photo UPI/John Angelillo | License Photo

PHILADELPHIA, May 24 (UPI) -- Protesters greeted presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney at a visit Thursday to a charter school in a poor black Philadelphia neighborhood.

The visit was Romney's first during the 2012 campaign to an area like West Philadelphia, The Washington Post reported. Many of those who stood on front porches and street corners as the campaign bus pulled up to the Universal Bluford Charter School seemed angry, calling "Get out, Romney. Get out."

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One man held up a sign quoting Romney in a February interview: "I'm not concerned about the very poor." The sentence ended "because they have a safety net."

Kenny Gamble, founder of the school, lectured Romney on black history and the need for education during a roundtable discussion, the Post reported. Meanwhile, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, a Democrat, spoke to the protesters, some of them organized by President Obama's campaign, others, neighborhood residents.

"I don't know that a one-day experience in the heart of West Philadelphia is enough to get you ready to run the United States of America," Nutter said. "You want to have an urban experience? You want to have a West Philly experience? Then come out here and talk to somebody in West Philly."

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During the discussion, Romney spoke of the need for children to grow up in two-parent homes and cited a recent report that says class size is not a key factor in student performance. Many of the educators at the table with him disputed those findings.

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