Coulter’s book signing stirs passions of protesters, fans

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter was in Costa Mesa on Wednesday evening to sign copies of her new book, an event that drew more than 100 people to the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the Metro Pointe shopping center and triggered occasional arguments, profanities and obscene gestures between fans and protesters.

The appearance of the polarizing bestselling author — whose latest book is titled “¡Adios, America!: The Left’s Plan to Turn Our Country Into a Third World Hellhole” — led to some tense moments as more than a dozen security guards staffed the store, some of them trying to limit the protesters to certain areas outside the entrance. Three Costa Mesa police officers also were present to monitor the scene; they made no arrests.

Some of the activists made it inside to the second floor, where Coulter met fans at a signing table. From a distance, the protesters shouted at her in English and Spanish while holding a large sign that read “¡Adios, Ann Coulter!”

They were later escorted outside, where they told passersby that they were protesting against Coulter, whom they called a racist, and Barnes & Noble for allowing her to sign books there.

While waving U.S. and Mexican flags, they said they were against white supremacy, racism and intolerance. Some told stories of their frustrations with the immigration system and acquiring legal residency. One protester played a banjo.

For more than an hour, the group shouted at customers exiting the store, particularly ones holding copies of Coulter’s book. The protesters chanted phrases such as “Shame on you” and “Walk of shame” as customers walked away. Most customers avoided confrontation, though some shouted back.

One man who left the store, with demonstrators shouting at him from behind, said he had “never felt so famous.”

Some demonstrators followed customers to their cars, videotaping the encounter and questioning the customers for buying the book.

In at least one instance, torn pages of “Adios, America!” that had been strewn on the ground were thrown at passersby.

At one point in the first half-hour, security didn’t permit more people to go upstairs and join the book signing, which began at 6 p.m. However, the line was reopened. The crowd had largely dissipated by 7 p.m.

Matt Fertal went to Barnes & Noble to buy “Adios, America!,” his first Coulter book. He described his meeting with her as friendly.

Fertal said Coulter touches on the problems of illegal immigration and how it “collapses” the American economy. He pointed to a passage in the book about securing America’s borders, when Coulter states, “When the bathtub is overflowing, the very first thing you do is turn off the water.”

“We’re pleased that someone’s getting the message out there,” Fertal said.

Lake Forest resident Charles Larson said Coulter addresses a “broken” immigration system, which brings with it a devastating network of human trafficking.

Meanwhile, the protesters outside alleged that Coulter’s book is “full of lies.” One demonstrator said he hadn’t read it, only “the review.” One woman held a sign reading “No human is illegal.”

“You’re an illegal alien,” a protester shouted in response to a customer’s remarks. “Go back to Europe!”

Another chanted: “This is your history. It shouldn’t be a mystery.”