Is 20,000 people alot when there are 5.5 million poeple there?

It would be interesting to know the numbers but that doesn't seem like very many people unless it was just a barbaque.

the one here was organized by Americans For Prosperity. I dont really care if it is a repub group. not all the tea parties were organized by the same group. Most of them were done by local groups not national

Some estimate the crowd could swell to anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 before the 7 to 10 pm event ends.

Thousands of tax protesters streamed Wednesday to state government’s front lawn, creating a sign-waving, anthem-shouting mass as darkness fell.

The Atlanta “Tea Party” at the Georgia Capitol stretched for blocks in protest of federal spending and the Obama Administration’s efforts to stimulate the economy.

We stand here tonight seeing clearly what has been done and what we must do,” state Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ranger), said.

Graves quoted a favorite of the crowd, the late former President Ronald Reagan, who warned “a government is never more dangerous than when our desire to have it help us … blinds us to how it can harm us.”

The Atlanta rally was one of 20 around the state and more than 300 around the country. Billed as grass-roots protests, critics — especially Democrats — have labeled the gatherings as frauds created by Republican advocacy groups with the backing of deep-pocketed lobbyists and Fox News.

An expected counterprotest at the Capitol never seemed to materialize. Five state troopers stood watch along a stretch of Courtland Street where the counterprotest was expected.

Meanwhile, at the Capitol itself, protesters — who model themselves after the Revolutionary-era Boston Tea Party — decried a federal government they say has lost touch.

Speaker after speaker complained about the bailouts of banks, automakers, mortgage lenders and anyone they deemed responsible for the current economic crisis. Fox News erected a massive set where conservative personality Sean Hannity planned to broadcast live.

Former U.S. House Majority Leader **** Armey (R-Texas) spoke. His organization, Freedom Works, is a primary organizer of many of the tea parties around the nation. Armey’s group, along with conservative groups Americans for Prosperity and American Solutions for Winning the Future, founded by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.), helped organize the events. Gingrich was scheduled to speak at the New York City tea party. American Solutions president and CEO Dave Ryan spoke here.

Armey planned to address the concerns critics have raised over who was in charge of the events.

“I plan to tell everybody they need to make it clear it’s their gathering,” Armey said before the rally, as he stood at the corner of Martin Luther King Drive and Courtland Street. “It’s not organized by big shots in Washington.”

And there were plenty of non-big shots in the crowd.

Amber Anneshensley and her brother, Michael Obetz, both 15 and from Suwanee, held signs to support the cause. Michael’s said, “Honk if we pay your mortgage.”

Their mother, Paula Lanier, said she brought her children to the rally to “teach them to speak up for what they believe in.”

“I don’t like how government is spending my money, raising my taxes to give it to people who let their own businesses fail.”

Jason Pye of Covington, the legislative director for the Georgia Libertarian Party, had mixed emotions about the rally. He and his fellow Libertarians have long supported the ideals exhorted Wednesday: less government, free markets and a Darwinian-approach to private business.

Many of those speaking, he said, haven’t always protected those ideals.

“I’m happy people are getting together,” he said. “But the movement has been co-opted by Republicans who are trying to regain their identity and want to forget George W. Bush existed. Libertarians aren’t forgetting.”

Earlier Wednesday at a tea party in Marietta, Ty Hunter was among a festive rally crowd of several hundred at the Marietta Square.

“When I was a boy, things were so much simpler. Government was not so much a part of our life, now it’s in every thing we do,” Hunter said. “It’s like we’re losing our liberty.”

Mingling with the crowd were people in Revolutionary War-era costumes. At the start, “Paul Revere” rode in to the square on his horse to warn the people of outrageous taxation.

Beth Pollard of Smyrna came to the rally wearing a hat adorned with tea bags.

“It’s my first time expressing my feelings about what is happening in Washington,” Pollard said. “I’m glad to live in a country where freedom is appreciated.”

In Atlanta, local conservative pundit and author Phil Kent warned the crowd to be wary.

“Throughout history, oppressors have tried to control people,” he said. That control, he said, has come from limiting free speech and the right to self-defense and through “servitude with high taxes.”

“We can’t have that happen here!” he said, to applause.
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/04/15/
ant_tax_tea_party.html


Many people traveled to Atlanta from places as far as Boston, Huston, and Calif to see Sean Hannity!

I wonder how they afforded that!
Those poor deprived people! LMAO

Support Fair Tax. Obama Plan called an act of terrorism against the American people.
http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=changedc

I dont see where it says 20,000!

What I read estimates betweeb 5 and 10 thousand, and many of them came from all over the country just to see Sean Hannity!

St. Louis had near 1,000 people show up for the tea party in February.

Over 700,000 showed up for Obama's rally in October in St. Louis.

Less then 200 people showed up for the tea party at our state's capitol.

Atlanta had 350 people show up in Feb!

Makes a big difference when FOX news drags in celebrity speakers and people travel from all over the country to see them!

I think Willing said it was 20,000, but that doesn't seem like alot in a population of 5.5 million

I bet it does if you're standing in the middle of em and need to get to a bathroom

I like what this one said!

Jason Pye of Covington, the legislative director for the Georgia Libertarian Party, had mixed emotions about the rally. He and his fellow Libertarians have long supported the ideals exhorted Wednesday: less government, free markets and a Darwinian-approach to private business.

Many of those speaking, he said, haven’t always protected those ideals.

“I’m happy people are getting together,” he said. “But the movement has been co-opted by Republicans who are trying to regain their identity and want to forget George W. Bush existed. Libertarians aren’t forgetting.”


Right on Jason!
How could anyone forget Bush?

I've read two different counts for how many attended at our state capitol. One said about 100 people showed up and another said about 200 people were there.

Oh, yeah, did I mention that over 700,000 people attended Obama's rally here? lol

Oh man, when you put it that way..

don't they have soda cans for that???

Abby Normal Jr

I saw those 700,000 happy people.

Waiting on the report from St Louis. Let's see if it's some of the same happy faces that were there before. I'm going to go play poker now.

Support a Fair Tax.
Vote out all in Congress that vote Obama's plan.
http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer?pagename=changedc

I'm with the tea party people on this subject (even tho i like tea, and hate the fact that people are wasting good tea on crap people in the white house).

I'm tired of my tax dollars going to Chase (who laid my dad off because they didn't want to pay him retirement) and listen to them whine about how they need MORE of my money. I wish that company would fold and the CEO explode into a zillion parts

Prove it.

Not using a hate site either.

Those hate sites are so full of garbage that there is no truth to them.

Obama has shown more tolerance for the "other" side than possibly any president before him.

Diplomatic and fair has been his whole agenda.

The jury is still out on that one. I for one have seen the man talk, very eloquently I might add, from one side of his mouth in public, while I read he has signed off on, or added to, yet another unconstitutional law dictated by the Bush regime.

The Patriot act does not protect us by any stretch of the imagination. It steals our rights! They say they only use information gleaned against "terrorists", but if you attend a church or read the Bible, you fit that profile by definition. Their oath of office is to defend the Constitution. The Patriot Act is unconstitutional..... his term, since he refuses to repeal the Patriot Act, starts with lies. Dispite all the "good" he proclaims we have yet to see the proof of his promise where it really counts.

I want to believe his intentions are good and for "we the people", but issues he has endorsed and signed to, the people he has appointed to his cabinet, not a good beginning for real change!

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/07/politics/main4583057.shtml

Research the backgrounds of these people..... scarry! Many are directly involved with the construction of the way things are today!

JMO