Thank you all for coming out and making this an awesome event! The Boston Common tea party drew over a thousand protesters, and Michael Graham’s event at Boston Harbour drew 1,500 patriots. Thank you for bringing your energy, your passion, and your love of this great country to Boston Common and Christopher Columbus park.
CNN and other liberal media sources, after being crushed on the “only five conservatives are going to go to these tea parties” meme, have switched gears. According to them, these tea parties were funded, organised, and promoted by large, moneyed right-wing interest groups. A reality check: the Boston Tea Party was organised by myself (a law school grad), a college student (Corie), and a stay-at-home mom (GOPMom), with the help of several other people. We all met over the internet and decided to do this on our own. Our sources of funding for the event and its promotion were a free Facebook group, a free Facebook event, this free website, the contributions of GOPMom and her husband (who put up the money for the permit), of a college student who printed postcards at no cost to us, and the contributions of a few people who purchased bullhorns.
One of the largest complaints I heard about our event was that it was difficult to hear the speakers. Our super high-tech sound system was three bullhorns, daisy-chained together. Corie volunteered to stand next to our speakers for three hours, holding the mike to one bullhorn in front of the horn end of another. Had we really been funded by right-wing interest groups, we would have had a much more elaborate – and effective – sound system. As it was, however, we could afford neither such a system, nor the additional expense of a permit (and insurance) that Boston would have levied on us.
Please keep checking back. This page will be updated regularly with information about what you can do moving forward, links for people who are interested in changing the political establishment from the ground up, and, of course, photos and video.
If you have pictures or video of the event, please leave links in the comment section! I’ll post as much as I can.
Pictures and video (updated regularly!)
My photos! Check out the artistry that comes from a cell phone. But hey, those right-wing interest groups don’t pay like they used to. 😉
Z’s photos (one of the event coordinators).
Eric Odom links to a Chicago Tea Party smackdown of a CNN reporter. The CNN reporter who covered the Boston event was much more rational, although she didn’t know that we would be throwing tea into Boston Harbour. (It’s worth it to watch just to see the cute kids running around in the background.)
Bringing the Spirit of 1773 Back to Boston 
Thanks to all of you who organized this event. I didn’t think I’d be able to make it, but I took some time off from work to attend–it was too important. This was the first time I attended a protest since my college days (40 years ago). It made me feel young again. And gives me hope for the future, esp. knowing that I’m not alone here.
Moneyed Right Wing funding my foot! Explain to me, Lib Media, the GOP critical signs we all see on the You Tube clips! Geez…
This registered Independent sincerely thanks all those who organized this revolt, and appreciate all the hard work, in order to make it happen. I took lots of pictures and a bit of video too of the events on the Common. There were people of all spots and stripes there; when you see a kid with a placard and ‘hippie’ attire you know there’s something to this. My images are on my profile if anyone wishes to see.
Sorry, thought I should add this…
http://www.myspace.com/bbr65
Just sharing pix. Nothing to sell!
I had a GREAT time! I was the guy with the big blue sign that said “Socialism: Trickle up poverty”. In the future if we have another party I hope it will be on a Saturday. There was not one person there that I talked to, including myself, that said they had at least 2 or more friends that wanted to go, but had to work. Could you imagine having these parties again with 3 or 4 times the turnout?!?!?!?
Also, I have and old, but reliable, 1400 watt PA system and a truck to carry it in. I would gladly let it be used for the next party!
Pete: Same here re two of my friends who had to work, plus another who attended the morning event but had to get back to work so missed the afternoon one.
Your sign was totally awesome. I featured it my own blogpost (scroll down), “Tea party signs of the times”: http://thebeagleproject.blogspot.com/
Damn sticky cut and paste function! That link to my party post should be as follows:
http://sisu.typepad.com/sisu/2009/04/tea-party-signs-of-the-times.html
Loving all the conspiracy theory talk on Lib blogs – it’s three days later, this Tea Party cost me 5 weeks of my life and even I’m not talking about it anymore. I’ve moved on to bigger and better things – like restarting the Republican Town Committee in my town with true conservatives – all fiscally conservative Indies and Libertarians need to apply. But if it will help the Obamabots to sleep better assuming Brad had everything to do with this, fine. I’ll send them my tax return next year – if we’re still allowed to write off expenses. The truth is that my husband’s LLC paid for the $500+ in expenses we incurred but did not solicit donations to cover.
Leave it to a bunch of selfish, self-centered Libs to be confused by people spending their own (limited) funds rather than applying to ACORN for a grant. Now we know why none of ’em showed up to counter protest – no free lunch.
The more time they spend on this just means more people hear about it and the movement will spread. Now stop reading silly lefty blogs and go write a letter to all your elected reps telling them they are on notice – “I was at the Tea Party, wish you’d been there.” Not a bad way to spend an overcast New England afternoon.
I agree, GOPMom.
Some of the problem is that the Left never actually has grass-roots activism, so they don’t think that we can pull it off, either. See, when Barack Obama raises $400 million from big donors alone, that’s “grass roots.” When we put together this event and get a bunch of people to donate time and money, it’s “funded by big corporations.”
Problematically for the Left, there were almost 1,000 of these parties going on nationwide. Even people who did not attend them know the people who put them together, and laugh at the thought of their coffee friends of the moms in their carpool being funded by big interests.
It was a great day to be an American. Thank you for all your heartfelt efforts. I couldn’t hear what the speakers were saying, but it didn’t seem to matter. It was important that they — and we and our fellow tea partiers — were there making a point about intrusive government. Here’s a link to my photo-rich blogpost documenting the day, “Tea Party signs of the times”:
http://sisu.typepad.com/sisu/2009/04/tea-party-signs-of-the-times.html
My only regret was that I didn’t get to meet you three remarkable women!
My 300 photo slideshow from the Common 7 Waterfront:
Runs about 12 minutes.
Panoramic shot of the Boston Common Rally:
Hello fellow extremists!! I’m glad to hear of the large turnouts, although I could not attend. That annoying thing called work keeps cropping up.
Many of you may have heard of the recent success in R.I. of a group of voters who mounted pressure on local reps which caused them NOT to raise taxes or increase spending. As a follow up to that, and to keep up the momentum I would like to reming everyone here that the Massachusetts Legislature will take up debate next week on proposed tax/toll increases.
Since the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has been denied “stimulus” funds, the pressure to increase the burden on tax payers and commuters will be tremendous. I urge all of you to call your state reps to demand that any increases are unacceptable. In light of the recent antics at the MTA regarding the intentional under-staffing of toll collectors to create massive traffic snarls on Easter weekend and AGAIN on Marathon Monday, I think our reps need to be reminded of who they work for. I know it’s short notice, but perhaps some of you could even attend the public hearings at the state house.
Is there any new info regarding an Independence Day demonstration? If I missed it forgive my oversight.
Thanks jpmzo for your post. It brings to mind another matter of state sovereignty. It seems several states are working on some sort of legislative action but I’m unclear of any details. Thoughts on this?
Time for teaparty supporters to send Beacon Hill a message , NO SALES TAX INCREASE!
You can find out about the Boston Independence Day Tea Party at http://www.bostonteaparty.ning.com