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What is unclear though is why federal officials felt the Tea Party presence required more than the attention of local law enforcement.

The protests were taking place at Federal Buildings/Facilities (where the IRS offices are located), right?

Every picture I've seen of the "DHS" presence at the protest were of FPS Officers - Federal Protective Service. These are the Federal Officers tasked with protecting Federal ... Buildings/Facilities.

I mentioned on another thread that there's a routine Friday pro-Palestine/anti-Israel protest by geriatric Caucasians (I think one is an ex-hippie/academic and the other 3 or 4 are old white guys paid by her to hold her banner while she passes out her literature) at a Federal Building near me. FPS is ALWAYS there too. Sometimes the K9 unit shows up too. They're easily identified by their white Tahoes (as can be seen in the pictures from yesterday's protests)

Conservatives who are going down this road are making themselves look foolish and paranoid ... and are doing the Conservative Movement and Tea Party a huge disservice by reinforcing the exact stereotypes Liberals/Progressives want to smear us with.

Any sort of mass gathering outside a Federal facility is going to draw interest and presence by those tasked with protecting it. Unless the officers were actively trying to illegally disrupt and disperse the protest, big freaking deal.