Report from the New York City Tea Party

futureofcapitalism.com ^ | Ira Stoll

[American Number 181269513]

The crowd of more than 1,000 that turned out for a Tax Day Tea Party in New York had the last laugh on the smattering of left-wing counterprotesters accusing them of racism.

"We're supposed to be a bunch of racists. The guy in charge is an African American," said KT McFarland, a Nixon, Ford, and Reagan administration official who ran for Senate in New York as a Republican in 2006. She was referring to the Tea Party's organizer, David Webb.

In case the audience missed the point when Ms. McFarland made it, Mr. Webb, a radio host, reiterated it later during the rally, which lasted from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. and took place on 8th Avenue just south of the Farley Post Office where taxpayers were filing their returns. "There are black Republicans and I am one of them," Mr. Webb announced.

The event did convey other themes besides "we're not racists."

One speaker, radio talk show host Mike Church, called for repeal of the 16th Amendment that gives Congress the power to impose an individual income tax.

Ms. McFarland called the risk that "we spend ourselves into oblivion" the biggest national security threat facing America.

"Throw the bums out, throw all the bums out," she advised.

Another radio host, Andrew Wilkow, spoke about the concept of "the zero liability voter." When voters who don't pay any taxes become the majority, "you can say goodbye to your freedom," he warned, predicting that "51% will always vote themselves a raise on the back of 49%."

The rally ended on a populist note.

First, the writer and director of the movie Generation Zero, Stephen Bannon, accused the government of providing "socialism for the very poor and the very wealthy and a brutal form of capitalism for everybody else."

"Our financial elites and the political class have taken care of themselves and led our country to the brink of bankruptcy," he said. "Leverage is a drug and debt, particularly public debt is like heroin…provided by the pushers on Wall Street and the mules on Capitol Hill."

Finally, millionaire protectionist and anti-immigration activist Lou Dobbs got up to speak on behalf on "the middle class of this country" and "the working men and women of this country."

"We are coming together out of love and not hate," he said. "There is one race in America and it is the American citizen."

Otherwise, he did not speak about either trade or immigration, and just to mark the point, immediately after he stopped speaking, the event organizer, Mr. Webb, said, "To those who want to be American citizens around the world, we want you here, we welcome you."

[American Number 181269513]

I was a volunteer Marshall at the NYC Tea Party rally last night along with perhaps 30 or so other people. Volunteers wore yellow shirts and were posted in groups of three on the corners surrounding the event. Once the rally got under way we walked through the crowds on the east side of 8th Avenue between 30th & 31st streets to try and keep the sidewalk open so people could get though.

The opposite sidewalk, on the west side of 8th avenue was closed off by the police as the rally was penned in just off the curb taking up one car lane and ran the length of the block. There was a second penned up area from 30th street to 29th street which was half full and only because you could not see or hear anything from that far back.

The rally went well, was heavily patrolled by the NYPD and was very peaceful. There were some anti-protestors shouting as they moved through the crowds and some verbal engagements ensued, none of which got out of hand (although you could see liberals going out of their minds).

One day at a time, one rally at a time and one election at a time.

[maryz]

(although you could see liberals going out of their minds)

Not really sure what you mean here . . . though it sounds (potentially) vastly amusing! Can you be specific? ;-)

[Danae]

We are ONE Race. We are AMERICANS.

And we are SICK of a government that NO LONGER REPRESENTS EITHER US OR AMERICA.

[ETL]

Thanks for the report. I unfortunately missed this one. But here are some photos I took at the first one last year:

PHOTOS FROM NEW YORK CITY TEA PARTY (City Hall Park, April 15th, 2009))
April 16, 2009 | ETL

Newt Gingrich, who spoke at the event, reported on Fox News the next day that there were an estimated 12.5 thousand people there.

Posted on 04/16/2009 1:28:50 PM EDT by ETL:
(warning: slow download for dial-ups)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2230757/posts

[Bitsy]

We are ONE Race. We are AMERICANS. And we are SICK of a government that NO LONGER REPRESENTS EITHER US OR AMERICA.

Needs to be repeated. Yes and Amen! We are sick of government that no longer represents us.

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

My sign for the next TP:

Of course I’m not racist...because liberals aren’t a race!

[Frantzie]

Newt is a RINO who FU NY-23 with fat Dede.

[Martels Hammer]

I was in the pen on the west side of 8th Ave. and standing next to two of the counter-protesters. Eventually they got frustrated and left as us Tea Partiers blocked (without touching) their signs. The cops were awesome and kept a small perimeter around the knot of folks. We cheered as they left after about 30 minutes. The marshals did a great job, thank you for helping!

[Altura Ct.]

The guy in charge is an African American," said KT McFarland, a Nixon, Ford, and Reagan administration official who ran for Senate in New York as a Republican in 2006. She was referring to the Tea Party's organizer, David Webb.

So what does that mean exactly?

[militant2]

“Liberals going out of their minds”

A bit of a redundant statement, don't you think?

Militant

[NoKoolAidforMe]

I saw one yahoo who had greasy hair and was unshaven, spewing explatives at us—”piss on all tea baggers...”. He was in the street (Eigth Ave) and got up in the face of a police officer. The officer told him to get out of the street, and he started screaming that he had a right to be there. The cop gave him the look and the lib skell crawled off with his tail between his legs.

Another woman stood across the street from us giving us the finger.

Then there were the ACORN morons who started chanting something, but were quickly drowned out by the patriots.

Liberals smell. They are foul-mouthed and just plain rude.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“A bit of a redundant statement,”

“Hi! I’m from The Department Of Redundancy Department, and I’m here to aid in helping you.”

[maryz]

got up in the face of a police officer

Yeah, I always find that a good row with a police officer starts the day off right! ;-)

Could the contrast be any clearer -- too bad the media won't show this stuff!

[Albion Wilde]

So what does that mean exactly?

It means that the frequently-repeated (by the left) claim that the tea parties are based in racism is false.

At the tea party I attended last summer in DC, there were plenty of people of color -- African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics.

[American Number 181269513]

(although you could see liberals going out of their minds)

Not really sure what you mean here . . . though it sounds (potentially) vastly amusing! Can you be specific? ;-)

Here is a sampling

- Two guys approaching the corner of the rally and stop for the red light and one guy turns to the other and said “oh sh*t, it’s these damn teabaggers. I can’t listen to this sh*t” at which point he put his hands over his ears, waited for the light to change and crossed the street looking like a big baby holding his hands over his ears.

- One young girl, who at the mention of a Palin for president shout from the crowd, turned and unleashed a vulgar anti-Palin rant (against nobody in particular). She was easily shouted down and moved but not before she showed how pathetic and disgusting and she really was. - I saw some acorn people trying to muster up a chant that would be heard but they faded out and dispersed after a bit looking defeated and angry.

- At the end of the rally there was a guy who saw a Palin sign and walked up to the person carrying the sign and yelled “if she becomes president I will leave this effen country and go to Canada” and the Palin sign carrying guy said “give me your number and I’ll call you in 2012 to say goodbye and I’ll even pay for your one way ticket”! Then the anti-Palin guy went off on a nasty anti-Palin rant, walked in circles and then started looking for someone else to confront. I made sure to point this guy out to the police as he really looked like he came for trouble.

- On the way to the train to go home and right in front of the main post office where the lines to file taxes before the deadline stretched out in two directions I watched two guys laughing and making jokes about the Tea Party. Another guy was walking by and said two to the two guys that they were morons. The two “morons” started to follow the guy while making even more outrageous comments and challenging the guy to a brain contest (whatever that meant) when the guy who made the moron comment stopped on a dime, whirled around into the faces of the two morons shouted them down went silent. I said to my girlfriend “here we go” and within seconds the two morons backed up. Then I said to my girlfriend take a look at the two guys, that’s what a pu$$y with legs looks like as I pointed to the two morons.

[Altura Ct.]

It means that the frequently-repeated (by the left) claim that the tea parties are based in racism is false.

So if he was white then that in and of itself is 'racism'? Or without a certain % of non whites that too is racism?

[firebrand]

If you are referring to the pro-abort lefties (at least three of them, plus a cameraman), the police were only surrounding them because I made a fuss about it (see post 28 on this thread. The marshals were great and so were the police, but they need to realize that having the opposite message displayed at a rally transgresses the free-epeech rights of the people at the demonstration, who possess the permit.

[firebrand]

Nice write-up (from the former managing editor of the New York Sun). When Lou Dobbs was introduced, there was a chorus of boos. I wondered if they were pro-illegal-immigration folks who were there just to boo Dobbs, or libertarians. Saw some Ron Paul t-shirts.

[maryz]

Thanks! Always good to get a little local color!

[American Number 181269513]

I heard the Lou Dobbs boos as well but not sure who was responsible.

There was a Ron Paul guy standing at the S E corner of 30th st and 8th ave with an 8 foot telescopic metal pole holding an American flag and a Ron Paul flag. I informed him that the metal pole was prohibited from the rally and he looked at me blankly and ignored me.

I then informed the NYPD and they walked over and told the guy to lower the pole. He refused and they confiscated and broke it into pieces. The guy was stunned and didn’t move. He looked like he was going to cry. Then I walked over to him and said “I told you, now they are breaking up your pole”.