(Rochester, N.Y.) – There was no tea, but there were hundreds of angry people at a “Tea Party” downtown.
The Tax Day event was one of many that took place nationwide to protest the federal stimulus plan, as well as high taxes.
A crowd that onlookers estimated to be between 500 and 1,000 people gathered at Genesee Crossroads Park. They sang the national anthem and other patriotic songs, gave speeches, and carried signs. Many people wore T-Shirts saying “Don’t Tread on Me.”
One woman dressed as a pirate to protest what she called the “piracy” of the federal government. Another woman said she was an immigrant from Ukraine and was protesting the U.S. government’s taxation and spending policies for the first time. One man brought his young son and said our nation was burdening future generations with debt.
The crowd marched to the County Office Building and City Hall.
