National Tea Party draws majority White crowd

By The Afro American Newspaper | Last updated: Sep 18, 2009 - 8:47:07 AM

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - A national right-wing movement reached its climax Sept. 12 as the Tea Party Express pulled into the U.S. Capitol, ending a 34-city tour.

A line of protestors blocked several blocks near the Capitol building. The D.C. Fire Department estimated between 60,000 to 70,000 people took part in the event, according to ABC News. The crowd appeared largely White, as many of the community-level events have been.

Since April, communities around the nation have held their own “tea parties,” grassroots political demonstrations spawned from conservative anti-spending, anti-tax and anti-Obama efforts.

The Tea Party Express left Sacramento on Aug. 28 as the zenith of the movement, embarking on a 7,000-mile tour of the county to rally opposition to the president's health care plan and to what protestors call out-of-control government spending.

The Saturday event and the Tea Party Express were organized by FreedomWorks, a conservative activist group led by former House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

“My grandkids are going to be paying for this,” Richard Brigle, 57, of Paw Paw, Mich. told Fox News as he joined the rally. “It's going to cost too much money that we don't have.”

As the Tea Party progressed in D.C., President Obama held a health care rally in Minnesota, pitching his plan to a mostly sympathetic crowd.

The Final Call