Oregon Public Broadcasting

As a near sell-out crowd awaited former Vice President Al Gore in Portland's Keller auditorium Wednesday night, a group of protestors gathered outside. April Baer reports.

Most of the protestors across from Keller Auditorium could best be described as anti-Gore, comprised of several organizations, from the Oregon Tea Party to the Oregon branch of the free enterprise group Americans for Prosperity.

AFP field organizer Richard Burke predicted that reforms supported by Gore would fetter industrial growth.

Richard Burke  "This beautiful jacket you're wearing, this television camera, this microphone, these thing all were innovated in an economy that was healthy enough to spur these innovations, and create the demand for this kind of products."

Some protestors carried signs denouncing the United Nations. Others proclaimed global warming a lie.

On an opposite corner, a different -- though smaller -- event was under way, with paper cups and thermoses.

Jamie Hogue:  "My name's Jamie Hogue, and I'm here having a Green Tea Party in favor of climate change legislation."

Gore visited Portland to talk about his new book, Our Choice - A plan to solve the climate crisis.