US election: Republican convention guests call black woman 'an animal'

The Republican Party was in damage control mode on Wednesday after two of its convention guests allegedly threw peanuts at a black camerawoman and jeered: “this is how we feed animals”.

The incident was swiftly condemned as "deplorable" by officials but still cast an unwelcome shadow over a convention where Republicans are eager to prove they are a modern and inclusive party.Security guards were called to the convention's main hall on Tuesday afternoon after reports that two people were racially abusing a black employee of CNN, the cable television news network.

At least one of the attendees was ejected from the hall by security and police officers but no arrests were made and no charges will be brought.

29/08/12