By now everyone who cares should be able to
find official or media estimates of attendance at tea parties
in cities they care about. But as promised here is what folks
from around the country have reported to me, including several
from last night:
In my home state of North Carolina (where there were parties in
at least two dozen — and maybe many more — cities and towns),
John Locke Foundation president John Hood reports:
After scanning the Thursday morning press coverage and
filling in the remaining blanks, it is safe to say that the
statewide count exceeded 17,500.
A 75-minute
video of the Raleigh tea party is posted at The Locker Room.
Reporting from Boone, NC, John Wheeler Jr. says:
The first was on the campus of Appalachian State University
(Paul C: you know, the Michigan slayer), outside the Student
Union, hosted by the College Republicans from 11 a.m. till 3
p.m. There were probably 50 people there all the time, with
upwards of 125 or more during the breaks between classes when
there was lots of foot traffic from students going to and from
classes and stopping to listen.
The second event was held at the Hardees Restaurant
immediately adjacent to the Boone ASU campus, from 4 to 6
p.m….this event generated a large turnout and lots of
attention along the main road, Highway 321, where heavy traffic
was passing by. I estimate the crowd at 300 or more at its
peak, with over 200 people there continuously from 3:30 p.m.
on.
Heartland Institute’s
John O’Hara says official estimates were between 4,000 and 5,000
in Chicago.
Former Army meteorologist Charlie Clough reports:
Here in the county seat of Harford County just north of
Baltimore city we had 500+ in attendence with light rain,
moderate wind, and temperature in the 40s. Great
rally.
WTKK talk show host Michael Graham reports from
Boston:
1500
at Boston Harbor, tossing tea chests into the water.
Former Michigan State Rep. Jack Hoogendyk’s daughter, Maria
Straatsma, says about 1,000 showed up in Grand Rapids. He also
passed along a
link to a friend’s slideshow from Lansing. Meanwhile Traverse
City blogger Jason
Gillman (watch for a photo gallery soon) reports the
following:
Grand Rapids MI reports over 3K (some saying 3800 per Fire
dept); Lansing 5000 per Detroit News — my estimate closer to
4500-4800; 450 first Traverse City event, 200 2nd event.
Nashville talk show host Steve Gill said at about 10:30
last night:
Capitol Hill Police in Nashville (photos)
gave an estimate of about 9,860 for the Nashville event.
Springfield, Tennessee drew 300. There were 2,000 in Mt. Juliet
Tennessee. And about 4,000 in downtown Franklin, Tennessee
tonight.
Blogger Craig Sprout
says about 500 showed up in Billings, Mont.
Tom Gaitens of Sarasota reports:
We had 2500 In Tampa at 5pm and another 750 at noon…great
day…
4000K in Jacksonville, 2000 in Sarasota, 1500 In
Tallahassee…First Coast had 2000K…Ft Lauderdale had 4000…it was
amazing.
Adam Cahn says in Austin, Texas, “I’d guess 4 to 5000…dunno the
official police estimate. Whatever the actual number, it was A
LOT!!!”
An unidentified emailer:
Oklahoma City attendance per local news stations: One said
4.000, the other 5,000. I was there and believe them. Yes,
those are big numbers, but we have a ton of people that fit the
new DHS definition of right wing terrorists!
Jim Plaisted in the Show-Me State:
St Louis, Missouri Tea Party - Between 8,000 to 10,000
attended per the park ranger. Very well mannered crowd. Very
non-partisan, very enthusiastic and very disappointed in the
current administration and prior administration for increasing
the debt. Particularly angry about the Obama administrations
huge increase to the national debt – and doubts about our
ability to pay it back in our lifetimes. Asked about passing
the burden of the current administration’s greediness and lack
of fiscal responsibility onto our children and grand children.
All of the people at the tea party responded with a resounding
and loud “NO!”
Russell Cook in Phoenix says about 6,000 showed, and sent a link
to a
news report’s aerial shot (news reporter’s dumb question to a
teenager: “Are you more upset about federal taxes or state
taxes?”)
And finally my sister Amy in Rhode Island says her Facebook
friends told her between 1,000 and 2,000 hit the streets of
Providence to protest.
That should be all from me on this and thanks to everyone for
their reports!
