Protestors in Maryland and across the country have turned tax day into tea party day. There were 11 tea parties across Maryland today -- many of them attracted several hundred protesters.
Protesters say their frustration has been building with what's been going on in Washington -- they don't think bailouts and stimulus packages are fixing the economy; instead they believe it's getting worse.
In Westminster, Carroll County hundreds of people lined route 140 -- some of them adorned with tea bags, trying to get their message out. ‘We need people to come out and say what they stand for and it's not for wasting money,’ said Mary Richards of Westminster.
They say the protests are the only way to force changes in the policies put in place by President Obama. ‘Just sitting on our couch and doing nothing is going to do nothing,’ said Connie Finch, also of Westminster. ‘So we have to do something and you have to start somewhere.’
The day’s largest was at the City Dock in Annapolis, where protesters dumped crates labeled 'tea' into the Severn River. They were retrieved later. Several hundred people also packed the amphitheater in Baltimore's Inner Harbor.
Further north in Havre de Grace, hundreds braved the cold and rain with their tea bags, and their opinion that creating trillions of dollars in debt is something worth fighting against. ‘We have to stand up for what we believe in,’ said Kate Fisher of Perryville. ‘And this is what we're doing. We're standing in the rain standing up for what we believe in.’
In Havre de Grace conservative groups also signed up new members, hoping the tea parties are just the beginning of a much larger movement. ‘If we continue doing this, I hope to see this annual thing, every tax day or perhaps even more,’ said Bill Martin, who is a city councilman in Havre de Grace.
There will be another tea party protest this Saturday morning at 10 AM in Middle River, at Chesapeake Gateway Park. That’s at the intersection of Eastern and Old Eastern Avenues.
