Tea Party Round-Up
Updated: now includes Salt Lake City
In addition to the D.C. Tax Day Tea Party down the street at the Washington Monument, there were hundreds of tax day protests around the country. Here’s a few reports from our members and their local tea parties:
Salt Lake City, Utah
It was only a few days ahead of time that I found out about the Tax Day Tea Party in Salt Lake City, but I thought I should go because I’ve never been to a political rally before and didn’t know what to expect. I forwarded the news to my Thoughtful Friends email list and called a few to see of any could get away on such short notice. Luck had it that a couple could get away and decided to go with me. It turned out to be an exceptionally good day. The weather was mild, the sun was bright, and the speakers were well informed.
There were actually two rallies, One at the Federal Building and one on the south lawn of the Capital. both crowds were very orderly and enthusiastic. Personally, I had a great time and am looking forward to the next one.
When asked how many had read the Constitution, the vast majority of the attendees had read it and were also well informed on the facts and issues of our day … – Jerry
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Our April 15th Tax Day Tea Party was a huge success, with perfect weather, outstanding speakers, 2,000 patriots in attendance, excellent positive media coverage including front page articles with pictures in the Post-Gazette and Tribune-Review. – Patti , Pittsburgh Tea Party Movement
More photos here, courtesy of Christopher Humphrey Photography.
Read some good news coverage, and watch the videos:
Salem, Oregon
While there were at least 25 tea parties across Oregon, the largest was in Salem where over 3,000 turned out to protest high taxes on the Capitol steps and over 1,000 were signed up to get more involved. The program included FreedomWorks Oregon State Director Russ Walker, experts from the Cascade Policy Center, Dr. Gordon Fulks of the University of Chicago, KXL 750 talk show host Rob Kremer, and the unveiling of the Contract From America. Read all about it here and here.
Hawaii
Aloha! There were several Tea Party rallies all over Hawaii on April 15: Hawaii Free Press Nearly 2,000 were at the capitol in Honolulu. Since our Tea Parties were the final ones to be held that day, wasn’t it nice to know that while Americans on the east coast were asleep for the night, Americans in the 50th state were still holding the torch of freedom for them? – Gilia
Palatine, Illinois
Just wanted to let you know what a successful day it was on April 15th for the TEA party rally in Palatine, IL! My husband and I are not even from Palatine, but felt compelled to participate with our home-made protest signs and American flag in tow, in this northern suburb close enough to our home town of Villa Park, IL. (We attended with another TEA party friend of ours, as well). It was an amazingly energetic rally with unseasonably warm breezes that carried countless flags and banners high.
Our strong, but peaceful message to “VOTE THEM OUT in November!” “Show us the Books” (Illinois fiscal responsibility) and “STOP OBAMANOMICS” amongst other slogans was heard by passersby and motorists along East/West Highway 14. I don’t know what the exact head count was for this event, but I hope the following photos will be enough to let you know how passionate “we the people” are, and how much we believe in and support the TEA Parties across America! This was our very first political rally, but it won’t be our last! I intend to participate in others, especially as the months before November arrive! Congress and the Washington, D.C. corruption with their heavy spending and back room deals cannot continue, nor will they silence “We the People!” – Etola
Punta Gorda, Florida
Approximately 1,200 people attended (although the New York Times owned Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported that just 200 people showed up). There were a handful of infiltrators as well, but no problems. – Jan
More photos can be viewed here.
Shelby, North Carolina
Our tea party was fantastic, and [Reggie Saddler] was as motivating and inspirational as you said he would be. I can’t even begin to describe how great he and his family were. We had a successful event yesterday. We had Joe Coletti, JLF, Bob Luebke, CIVITAS, and our local speaker was from Rutherfordton, Zo Naskrov, and our own Hayden Soloway, co-founder of 912 for shelby. We think we had 4-500. – Cindy
Tampa, Florida
Over a thousand attended Tampa’s tea party – check out the great pictures and video over at Don’t Spread My Wealth.
Greenville, South Carolina: Upcountry Tea Party
About 15,000 turn out for the Upcountry Tea Party in Greenville, SC where FreedomWorks joined with 16 other conservative groups to pull off the protest.
North Carolina:
35 entrepid volunteers – who also worked for the 9/12 Taxpayer March on Washington, so they knew what they were in for – traveled to DC to help pull off the DC Tax Day Tea Party. They used the time on the bus coming here to call Geico.
Atlanta, Georgia
Over 8,000 came out for the event sponsored by Atlanta Tea Party, Georgia Tea Party Patriots, and Georgia FreedomWorks. FoxNews host Neil Cavuto broadcast his show live from the Capitol. Great write-up and video here and former presidential candidate Bob Barr says good stuff here.
It may come as a shock to people around the country whose familiarity with the Tea Party movement is gleaned from national media reports, but yesterday’s rally at the State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia was well-organized, substantive, and well-behaved.
I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at this event, and I was impressed with the demeanor and attentiveness of the crowd — which included many young people in addition to adults from a very diverse background. The speakers reflected that diversity of backgrounds as well, and included many from Georgia (of course), but also from Washington, DC, other states and even other countries.
Rochester, New York
Several hundred showed up for a rally and march in Rochester, NY organized by a We Surround Them Rochester, Campaign for Liberty, Young Americans for Liberty, Rochester Watch, and FreedomWorks Congressional Action Team member Rochester Veteran of RochesterConservative.com where you can read the full report, and see great video and photos.
This is clearly FreedomWorks’ favorite sign.
Dalton, Georgia
Naomi Swanson, a DC Tea party attendee, had her tea party story published in the Dalton Daily Citizen.
Despite the grueling itinerary, Swanson said the trip is an event “everyone should attend.”
“It’s a thrill to stand with like-minded Americans,” Swanson said. “You’re in a group where you stay polite, you don’t have to worry about offending people. It was a conservative group, it was a quiet group. We didn’t have anything that the media tried to project that was going to happen. We didn’t have negative things.”
Have a story or pictures from your April 15 events? Pictures and stories from DC? Please share.
