TEA PARTIES: Hey Hey, today we're gonna party like it's 2009!

MARIE ANTOINETTE IN THE WHITE HOUSE: Obama/White House ‘Unaware of Tea Parties’ (hat tip Urban Infidel)

Janet sent this from the tea Party rally this afternoon in Winston-Salem, NC

CHECK BACK: UPDATED ALL DAY! The tea parties are a phenomenon!

 

Pic hat tip collier

Readers from across the country have been sending in their citizen reportage of their local tea parties. Keep it comin', great Americans!

 

Tucson, Arizona: Doug wrote, "AMAZING, I thought maybe 50 people would show up in our little lefty leaning town. The silent majority is no more....let's keep it rolling."

Brunswick/St. Simons Island Tea Party today. Final head count attendance: 636. All signed three petitions to be sent to Georgia congressmen and Senators regarding the complete waste of tax dollars. Next Tea Party will be July 4th.

Carla at the Boston Tea Party

Much thanks to George for pix and report:

Pamela, I was able to attend the DC Tea Party for a couple of hours this morning. I arrived at Lafayette Park about 11AM. Even though it was sprinkling and cold, the crowd was beginning to build. Throughout the next hour and a half the crowd continued to get larger even though the rain had started to come down harder. Many American flags were evident and the crowd was polite, but enthusiastic – not at all like the anti-war or Code Pink protests that you seen on TV with unruly people who get into everone’s faces. Maybe our side needs to be a bit more assertive to get the attention that is needed. Fox News was there and I got a couple of shots of Griff Jenkins interviewing people. I’m not sure how many people we ultimately had, but the weather definitely had an impact on the numbers. Around noon, some of the folks wandered across Pennsylvania Avenue and put their signs up against the fence surrounding the White House. They were quickly chased back from the fence by the police, but this is standard operating procedure for anyone protesting in the park. They simply don’t allow any protesters to take their protests or signs to the White House fence and, over the years, I have seen many people ushered back across the street.

Obama/White House ‘Unaware of Tea Parties’

 

FOX covering DC

 

Denver 4,000 strong (Thanks RPK for the pic)

Cate was there and said:

The Denver rally was AWESOME!!! The first rally here brought about 300 people. Some estimates from today's rally say we had more than 5,000. Personally, I think we got closer to 10,000. As I was walking from my car, I heard a roar like from football game at a stadium. It was the crowd!!! After things got started, I couldn’t stand high enough to get a picture of the entire crowd. But, an entire block was covered wall to wall with people. In addition to the attendees, for a solid two hours, people who were driving by were honking like crazy. I talked with a whole lot of energized people today. Our organizer is calling for this to be the first annual tea party, and there are several new political groups have b een started as a result of this rally. NOW is the time for all of us who are concerned to GET and STAY INVOLVED. I sure hope a lot of people will begin to step up to the plate and run for office in our various locales…I’m sure planning to do so.

UPDATE: More great Denver coverage at Looking at the Left

 

FRESNO! Thanks to John Galt

  Both pictures were taken from the top step of the Louisiana State Capitol building. WWL radio reported the turnout to be +1,000."

G-d bless America!

Atlas Reader Karen:

Hello Pamela, Want to let you know that my husband and I attended our local Tax Day Tea Party in Bellevue, WA at noon (Bellevue is a city across the lake from Seattle). The announcer said an estimated 1,000 people showed up!!! Amazing. It feels sooo good to be an American. To be at a rally with honest to goodness fellow Constitution loving Americans. Woo hoo!

I am pumped. I hope, I pray all good Tea Party going American's can keep this ball rolling and we can take our country back before it's too late. My husband and I are going to make a serious consideration to travel to Washington DC this summer to march on the capital.

CNN Reporter Harassed at Chicago "Tea-Party" WATCH IT(hat tip Larwyn)

BOISE: Sandy reports 2500 + strong!

That's what the Boise police department estimated. Little Boise has shown how strong the conservative movement is! Very peaceful and respectful. Just what you would expect from conservatives...

 

Boise

 

 

Brian was in Columbus, Indiana -- 1200 strong!

I have just returned from a Tea Party in Columbus Indiana. Columbus is a small city of around 40k, located 40 miles south of Indianapolis. ......Six of my neighbors and friends loaded up in our van went as a group.It was the first political rally for all of the group. I would put the numbers around 1200

 

BJMan in Grants Pass!

We went downtown to the Tea Party.  There were about 1500-2000 there.  That is a good size crowd for Grants Pass.  There are a lot of good and patriotic people in our little town.

 

 

More Chicago pics from Crusty

This pic from Chicago -- from Craig's brother Jeff.

UPDATE: Check out the poll results! (hat tip Lane)

John in Sacramento:

just wanted to add my two cents worth from the capitol of cali. thousands were in attendance. neal cavuto, from fox business, was interviewing attendees before the rally started. the rally started at noon with the national anthem and pledge of allegiance. American flags were everywhere, as were hundreds of anti-tax posters and one "who is john galt" sign. several local radio celebrities were sharing the emcee duties. various speakers were often drowned out by the crowd chanting "vote them out". about half way through we were introduced to a senior vice-president from paramount pictures and actor john ratzenberg. the crowd was large and vocal, but polite; every few seconds i could hear "excuse me" or "pardon me" as people moved through the mass of protesters, most of whom were first-timers. hopefully we started something today.

Sacramento photographs by P Barnett:

Mara was at the Sacramento rally and said, "We had in my opinion closer to 10,000 but some people said it was closer to 6,000".

Clyde notes on Sacramento:

Here's proof the Associated Press has its collective head up the Democrat Party's ass. In today's AP story about the Tea Parties, the one in Sacramento has this headline:

Hundreds protest tax increases at Calif. Capitol
Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Several paragraphs into their story, the AP refutes their OWN headline with the admission a California Highway Patrol officer estimated the crowd at 5,000.

Media bias? Noooooo. Nothing to see here folks, move along...

Lol. Clyde's right. In SF Gate: Headline: Hundreds protest tax increases in Calif Capital.

Thousands of sign-waving protesters turned out Wednesday for a tax day rally that included attacks on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California lawmakers by a congressman and a son of former President Ronald Reagan.

UPDATE: From Lynn in Little Rock:

 

Lynn said,

I just came from the tea-party in Little Rock at the state capitol & it was wonderful.  We couldn't of had a better day, with pure sunshine & a light breeze that had all the flags waving beautifully.  Probably about 1000 people showed up & everyone was friendly, kind & determined to get our country back into the hands of the people where it belongs.

Laura in Missouri:

 

 

 

Laura wrote,

Participants at the Tea Party in Springfield, MO,  were very well behaved.  I was surprised at the turn-out as Springfield is about a town of about 154,000.  I would have to say several hundred folks showed up to voice their displeasure:) Closer to 1,000 than not:)  Also a party in Branson, good turn-out for a town of about 7,000. 

I just saw the local news and they downplayed the protest as right wing nuts, etc, and that Fair tax people left when they saw one sign that said Obama was a secret Muslim.  Funny thing is I was there from 5:15pm-7:00pm and fair tax people were there the whole time and no one left only more people showing up to join the crowd.  I would have to say at most there were two semi-far out there signs, but being as the event is a celebration of individuals rights to free speech and most of the signs I saw were handmade.  I know our neighbor went and she is much like us as we are not a member of any group and just decided we would go b/c we are fed up with the current government expansion and irresponsible spending on ridiculous programs, etc.

Local news also reported that the protesters "blocked traffic".  As I said this did not happen when I was there-all of the protesters were standing on the curb and traffic was never disrupted (except when newsphotographers stepped into the street to take a picture.  KY3 in Springfiled, MO are asshats and liars as I was there.

The speakers talked of overtaxation and we participated in subversive activities like the Pledge of Allegiance and singing the National Anthem.  Folks had their hands over their hearts and I must admit to shedding a tear or two during the Anthem.  I met some young college aged kids and they were most delightful.  People from all walks of life and ages.

This really renewed my faith and I do not feel so alone.  It was wonderful to see the young folks turning out.

There is hope yet:)

Scott in Dallas, Texas:

Elisa from Santa Ana!

 

 

 

Gwen in Nashville!

 

Gulf Coast sent this from Sarasota Florida where over 1,000 showed

 

Nichol from Seal Beach

 

This was the Tea Party in Seal Beach CA.  They say about 600 gathered; it seemed more like a thousand.  Fantastic people, dogs, signs, flags, t-shirts!  We trekked from City Hall to the pier, then to Pacific Coast Highway.

UPDATE: Lowell Mass - thanks to Michael!

 

 

The Certification of Live Birth! The story that Atlas broke in July 2008!

UPDATE Millions attended. Millions

UPDATE: More pics Steve in Southern Pines, North Carolina. "I think about 200-300+ attended in a very small Southern town."

 

UPDATE: 950 people at Hot Springs Tea Party amazing as this is a solidly liberal hell hole"

UPDATE: Jamie sent these shots that her son Tom took in Seattle:

 

 

 

UPDATE: Jim in Tampa:

I heard the cops talking and they said there were about 1,500 people (5 pm-7 pm). The local Fox station was there, I didn't see any other media.  Plenty of cops on motorcycles and horses.  Lots of kids there with their parents, one speaker was a black conservative radio host (Willie Lawson) spoke for a few minutes, couldn't hear the names of the other speakers.

UPDATE: Mike Conway reports,

Many soldiers, patriots, common folks. One cop on R&R. One lefty taking notes. One of the speakers was an elderly World War II Veteran who drew plenty of applause.

Event started with prayer, Pledge of Allegiance, and the National Anthem. All soldiers and vets saluted the flag, all others put their hand on their heart. Real togetherness. No talk about party affiliations and no bashing. Just the plain truth which included mention of the pitiful attack against soldiers and all American patriots in the DHS document about "right wingers".

Heard that you couldn't even get in at the Little Rock Tea Party it was so full. Hope bill and hillary were watching the news!

The Left will never learn how to hold such peaceful rallies as these. Heard lots of talk about the Fourth of July too. Forgot to mention in my comment that the lady who was handing out information at the event mentioned that she loves your blog. Mentioned your website to many others during enjoyable conversations

 

 

Kids want to know: How we will pay for all this spending?

UPDATE: And this from Dr Laura;

Just a bit of data on the Raleigh NC Tea Party. There were two police estimates of the size of the crowd, one 5,000 to 7,000, and the second estimate 7,000 to 8,000. This information was sent by Melodye Aben, the chief organizer, to those of us who had helped. The spirit of the event was excellent, many many people were at their first experience in “activism”, and many expressed that they would continue to work maximally to rescue their own future as well as that of their children/grandchildren.

UPDATE: And Jamie in Ridgefield Connecticut wrote, "This is from my 86 year old cousin Betty and she and her husband John - AGE 90! - attended.

 Hi all! Yesterday, John and I went to the southeast corner of Park and Preston Rd. in Plano to join the Tea Party there, one of three in Plano alone. We went early to get a parking place close as possible. The rally was from 5 - 7 and we got there a little before 5. About 35 were standing along Preston with signs and flags. Never having been to such a gathering we didn't know what to bring so were sorry we hadn't made a sign, or brought a flag, or even a camera. The last was a big mistake. Cars going by honked and waved and we called out and waved back. People began to join us, more and more as time passed. All sorts of people ---- old , young, children, some coming direct from work. All pleasant and friendly. Excellent creative signs ----- one --"I'm tea'd off} with of course, a drawn teabag. Some made signs on the spot ---- all homemade, No speakers, just everyday folks. They finally stretched down several blocks, and across the street and actually on all four corners though most at our corner. A helicopter circled above us and we waved. It was quite exciting and so new to us as we had never been to a "protest" meeting before. We left about 5:45pm as we were tired of standing. More people kept coming with about 350 at the time we left, an hour and fifteen minutes yet to go. At the rate they were arriving, probably a total of 500, plus the cars honking as they drove by, obviously cheering us on. We're so glad we went. Quite inspiring. B.

UPDATE: Joanne wrote,

It was a BIG Tea Party, too. This fellow drove by taking pictures.(video here) Tea Party Rancho Cucamonga How many manufactured signs do you see?

This was VERY plainly grass roots.

UPDATE: New Jersey Tea party! (hat tip rut)

UPDATE: Hundreds of Frederick County residents braved the cold rain

UPDATE: Randolph in Columbus Ohio "first pic out of the camera!"

 

UPDATE: BAKERSFIED, CALIF - Snidely reports:

Since you talk on Jazz McKay Radio every Tuesday, I figured you have to include the Bakersfield Tea Party. I figure around 3000 showed up for it. I was there and took 189 pictures. Here is a sampling. 5 loony left trolls showed up as well

UPDATE +: Check out Frances's pics from BOSTON:

 

I haven't decided who in these pictures is more dangerous.  The five year old, the cute kid with his mother or the guy with the "Dump Barney" sign.  Napolitano should keep a close eye on these characters.  <

BOSTON!