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."

[firebrand]

I informed the lefties before going to the police also. The woman in the red T-shirt said something about free speech. Had it all wrong of course. It’s nice to let people know before going to the authorities.

[militant2]

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

Say again?? (just kidding!) :)

Militant

[Albion Wilde]

What is your point? You seem behind the curve on this issue.

[American Number 181269513]

Here is a top down picture of the event that I just found at this link. This looks down on the S W corner of 31st & 8th and the caption indicates it was taken when Lou Dobbs was speaking so that would be about 8:40 or so.

“The New York Times estimated that the crowd included about 700 attendees, but noted that only a third of the designated protest area was full”.

The “attendees” went into the designated area but were so far back they could not hear or see anything. The second pen was separated from the first (with the stage at the front) by traffic heading east on 30th street. Half of those who went into the second pen left and gathered on the east side of 8th avenue between 30th and 31st. Lou Dobbs even acknowledge that when he turned and said hello to us on the other side of the street.

Article and pic

[maryz]

Wow! I hadn’t realized the NY TEA Party was right in the city streets (Boston was on the Common).

[American Number 181269513]

Yes, this is how we do things here and it’s not just any street at any time. Penn Station/Madison Square Garden are just to the right and you can see the Farley post office in the upper right hand corner.

The police not only closed the lane to traffic on west side of 8th avenue where you see the pen, they also closed the east lane of traffic for the police to stand in and maintain the barrier holding back the crowd (which is where I was mostly).

So, 2 out of 5 lanes of car traffic closed along with the west side sidewalk closed to pedestrian traffic and with the rush hour car and pedestrian traffic increasing by the minute (5:30 to 9pm), not to mention another protest going on in front of the post office (Save Our Schools or some student protest for something) and perhaps a half dozen or so news trucks in the area you can see this is definitely not like a Searchlight Nevada type environment.

Yet, this is normal for me and I feel at home.

[maryz]

definitely not like a Searchlight Nevada type environment.

LOL! No, definitely not! Hard to ignore, I would think, even for the state-controlled media!

[Dajjal]

A friend emailed me this url (106 photos):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnnyiboken/sets/72157623866752306/
Tax Day Tea Party, NYC, April 15th, 2010

[maryz]

Great pictures -- thanks! Haven't seen another one where we had our own doctors in white coats protesting against ObamaCare!

[xkaydet65]

I saw the skel you’re talking about. At first he went around screaming “racist a—holes”. Then he spun around and tried the “They spat on me routine.” NYPD told him to move along, and one young guyin our crowd directed him to a methadone clinic. He came back later with a sign giveen him by the earlier skels who used the same signs as the goons in Boston, He got foul mouthed and was challenged by a 60+ former Marine in his USMC ball cap. The gyrene’s wife calmed him down but the skel took no chances and moved down toward 29th. Your description understated his appearance.

[firebrand]

A friend has his own photo of two great signs:

Rangel Should Be in a Rent Controlled Prison Cell

and

Nebraskans for Gillibrand
Thanks for the Kickback

[rmlew]

Did you see the 6th floor of the building on 31st across from the podium, where leftists placed a banner telling “Teabaggers” to leave?

[American Number 181269513]

No, I didn’t see that banner. Early on when I arrived I saw only one residential building on the east side of 8th avenue between 30th & 31st streets. It was a terraced building with several cameras pointed down at the rally and I think that is where the picture I posted was taken from. Was that where the banner was?

[rmlew]

I believe so. I need my sister to email me her pics. We were in the main pen, with Firebrand.

[American Number 181269513]

Oh ok. I’d like to see the pics. Will you post them?

[Albion Wilde]

Nice pix! Not a dumb white supremacist knuckle-dragger in sight! Thanks for the ping!