Updated

TACOMA, Wash. - GOP hopeful Rick Santorum's evening rally here spiraled into violence with at least one "occupy" protester dragged from the event by police after a scuffle with Santorum supporters.

Before the fight broke out, Santorum struggled to stay on message as the handful of demonstrators continuously heckled the candidate throughout his speech.

With non-stop chants of "We are the 99 percent" echoing through the crowd, Santorum had no choice but to address the group directly.

"This is the one reason I love doing outside events open to the public, because you get to hear from everybody," he said. "I gotta tell ya, I don't agree with these people, but I respect their opportunity to have a different point of view. I don't think that they are a hater or a bigot because they disagree with me."

Santorum then connected the protesters to President Obama, claiming the president is supporting the "Occupier" ideology.

"Barack Obama has sided with the 99 versus 1," he said. "He supported them and embraced them. Why? Because it's consistent with exactly what Barack Obama's trying to do with this country. He is systematically trying to divide this country more than any president in the history of this country."

The real knockout punch of the night may have come long after the fight was over, when Santorum added he feels the Occupy movement may be tied to a group that is being "left behind" in American society.

One in three Americans, he said, don't graduate from high school, and over three quarters of this group will end up in poverty at some point.

"We've got to provide an opportunity for them," Santorum said. "Instead of standing here unemployed yelling at somebody, to go out and get a job and work for a living!"

That statement sparked an eruption from Santorum supporters, who began drowning out protesters with chants of "Get a job!"

Following the speech, another protester was arrested after glitter-bombing Santorum