Posted on 02/27/2009 9:08:01 PM PST by neal1960
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A massive rally in downtown Greenville on Friday to protest government spending was started by the rant of a reporter in Chicago.
Several thousand people flocked to the banks of the Reedy River to re-enact a uniquely American form of political speech. The crowds dumped tea into the river, evoking memories of the Boston Tea Party of 1773.
"They're not like putty in our hands," said CNBC on-air personality Rick Santelli. "This is America! How many of you people want to pay for your neighbors' mortgages, that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills? We're thinking about having a Chicago tea party in July. All you capitalists that wanna show up at Lake Michigan, I'm gonna start organizing."
Santelli's words spurred thousands to take action across the country, and about 2,000 in Greenville alone.
"I'm sick and tired of it," said protester Barbara Keeton. "That's my money. That's my grandchildren's future. It's down the toilet."
Protesters said they were angry over the billions spent by Congress and the billions more on the table.
"No one looked at it, no one read it, no one had any clue what was in it except, of course, for the guys who prepared it," said protestor Joshua Schatzle.
"The debt that Obama's got, is way higher now, less than 100 days after he's been in office," Keeton said.
The protesters vented through signs, chants and tea.
Carl Clegg said he got the idea to start the party less than a week before it occurred.
"We're giving the opportunity for people in the area to come out and say, 'I do not approve of what's going on in Washington,'" said Clegg, of the Upstate Young Republicans.
In a few days, it grew to a size that amazing organizers and observers.
"I'm not exactly supportive of everything that's going on, but I think it was a great display of what you can do in America," said onlooker D.J. Harris.
The rally was one of at least a dozen tea party protests scheduled planned in major cities on Friday. Many more are scheduled over the next few months all across America.
Here’s a bump.Pics?
We posted at the same time, how do I delete my.
http://www.greenvilleonline.com/article/20090227/NEWS01/90227028/1069/YOURUPSTATE01
Crowd converges at Liberty Bridge to protest stimulus plan
For this to work though, it would take millions of us to get on board.
Wow!!! Great turnout!!!!!
I’ve been trying to convince Mres FlashBack that we need to move away from this Iowa winter weather....SC sure looks like the place to go!
Please tell me someone got pictures of this...
...Only 4 more long months until I FINALLY get to go to Greenville for good and leave this socialist hellhole!
It was a great turn out. It was raining all day, the weather turn nice just before the protest.
BTTT
Lots of links from all over the country assembled on this thread.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2195600/posts
There was supposed to have been a gatering here in Iowa at Davenport and maybe DesMoines...I haven’t seen any After-Action-Reports yet. Gotta go look for those and see how they did...stuck at work today.
Our daughter has posted pics here...
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=52405754&albumId=2940708
“”No one looked at it, no one read it, no one had any clue what was in it except, of course, for the guys who prepared it,” said protestor Joshua Schatzle.”
“H”, Those individuals that wrote the bill probably only knew what their assigned portion of the bill was about. I’d believe nobody, I mean nobody knew everything included within that massive text.
There should have been one month at least to read and digest a bill that size, then debate the content before voting on it. Totally improper procedure. The American people understandably are seriously angry.
The whole lot of those voting for this should be drug out of the Capitol by their heels and strung up.
Beautiful! Thank you and thanks to your daughter!
Lots of Gadsden flags there...nice to see like-minded folk even if I can’t be there. Hope I can get down there and make the next one! :)
That’s a right fair crowd. Notice all the folk on top of the bridge in the background.
Sorry, I wasn’t there. Greenville is a three-four drive from Aiken.
It is.Move the young people up for the shot.This is for the pros-if we have any left in PR Dept.in the Rep.Party.
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