Confrontations emerge at Palin event in NC

ASHEVILLE — Supporters of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama are confronting people attending a North Carolina event featuring Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin.

The faceoff in downtown Asheville included loud yelling and vulgar signs. The event showcased the tension between people who live in the liberal enclave and the others living in conservative counties that surround Asheville.

Authorities stood between the crowds, which included a couple of hundred Obama supporters and several thousand Palin supporters waiting to enter the event.

Both sides crowded the sidewalks of a downtown street, at times disrupting traffic as they spilled into the road to confront each other. Some heated arguments devolved into minor shoving.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)