And this news from Knoxville, Tennessee: Environmental protesters took over Vice President Al Gore’s East Tennessee campaign office yesterday, chaining themselves together for about three hours before leaving peacefully. The occupation comes just weeks before Republicans and Democrats hold their presidential nominating conventions, events expected to draw thousands of activists and protesters. When the office opened at 10, four women entered and tied themselves together with a motorcycle chain and several bicycle locks, the same time, witnesses said, about a hundred others moved in front of the two-story building’s entrance, and at least two more barricaded themselves on the roof with a banner that said, “The president is for hire.” The protesters represented several groups who have campaigned against a wide variety of issues over the past year, including the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund and protecting the environment.