<p>Members of the Concerned Black Clergy and black state legislators defended U.S. Representative Cynthia McKinney today at a news conference in Atlanta.</p><p>McKinney spoke briefly at the end of the news conference at Community Church of God, but she declined to mention her run-in last week with a Capitol Police officer.</p><p>Reporters were NOT allowed to ask questions at the end of the remarks.</p><p>Supporters included Democratic state legislators Representative "Able" Mable Thomas and Sen. Vincent Fort. Her supporters pledged to stand by McKinney.</p><p>McKinney held a news conference Friday in Washington in which she said -- quote -- "This whole incident was instigated by the inappropriate touching and stopping of me, a female black congresswoman."</p><p>McKinney, also a Democrat, declined to discuss the incident further since she still may be charged with striking the officer after she entered a House office building unrecognized and did not stop when asked. She and her two lawyers refused to say during the Washington news conference whether she hit the officer or how he touched her inappropriately.</p>
