[tampabay.com video]

Sen. Barack Obama’s town hall meeting at Gibbs High School this morning in St. Petersburg was interrupted by Uhuru protesters holding up a banner that said, "What about the black community, Obama.”

The crowd drowned them out with chants of "Yes, we can! Yes, we can" as Obama told the young protesters to "just relax" and wait for the question-and-answer part of the program. Obama moved on as someone took the protesters' banner away.

Several minutes later, Obama called on one of the protesters during the Q&A. The man asked Obama why he has not spoken up directly in the face of what he called “numerous attacks” against the African-American community, including the subprime mortgage crisis, Hurricane Katrina, Jena 6, the shooting of Sean Bell by New York police and the shooting of Javon Dawson in St. Petersburg.

Obama answered by going through specific examples including: “I've been talking about predatory lending for the last two years in the United States Senate and worked to pass legislation against it when I was in the state legislature. And I have repeatedly said that many of the predatory loans that were made in the mortgage system did target African-American and Latino communities. I've said that repeatedly.”

Obama went on to say, “On each of these issues, I've spoken out. Now, I may not have spoken out the way that you would have wanted me to speak out. … What I'm suggesting is that on each of these issues that you've mentioned, I have spoken out, and I’ve spoken out forcefully.”

Obama took other questions on a national CAT fund, immigration, veterans issues, No Child Left Behind and the economy. He spoke for just more than an hour.

In closing remarks, Obama took a shot at opponent John McCain, saying: "They know their ideas are used up. That's why they're spending all their time talking about me." And then, "The real risk is shying away from seizing a bold future for America."

Final line: "Thank you St. Petersburg, thank you Florida, take care."