Anti-stimulus tea parties light up Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and social media

Protesters rally against the stimulus plan in Hartford, Conn. Credit: Bob Child / Associated Press

In the latest example of how user-produced media can capture so-called "massively-shared" events in a way mainstream media can't, a wave of images, blog posts and videos from a nationwide protest has been washing across the Web. The protests, dubbed "tea parties" by participants, were held Friday in several U.S. cities including Portland and Washington, D.C. as a response to what demonstrators see as unfettered spending and encroaching government as represented by President Obama's economic recovery plans.

The tea parties were catalyzed by the widely seen screed by CNBC personality Rick Santelli, in which he jokingly suggested he'd organize a Chicago tea party to protest what he saw as the president's plan to "subsidize the losers' mortgages." 

The idea is a reference to the Boston Tea Party, the famous revolutionary-era event in which American colonists dumped British tea into the Boston Harbor to protest oppressive taxation policies by the British government. 

Though even a year ago it would've been a slow and difficult process to chronicle a widely scattered protest such as this, the online community is now mastering the art of high-speed media sharing, a trend that can unite geographically disparate communities via the Web. Much of the sharing is now facilitated by the fast-growing messaging site Twitter, where today the keyword "teaparty" was one of the most frequently used terms. Users sent out a flurry of updates about attendance, links to photos on Flickr and Photobucket, and videos on YouTube and other sites. 

The protests appeared to be rather small and did not attract much coverage in the mainstream media. But interested observers had a remote window into the activities taking place in cities such as Tulsa, Okla., Austin, Texas, Nashville, Chicago, Lansing, Mich., Houston, Hartford, Conn., and Los Angeles, where a group gathered this morning on the Santa Monica pier. (This blog reports that, as a part of that action, former "Saturday Night Live" actor Victoria Jackson read the definition of "socialism").

If social media is a good barometer, it looks like the spending bill is stimulating the citizenry already.

-- David Sarno

Comments

[John Strok]

Imagine that, the mainstream media doesn't cover a conservative protest. If it had been the left out today I'm sure the evening news would count at least a few hundred thousand at each location!!

[David]

The protests appeared to be rather small. I don't think so in Greenville SC, several thousand show up downtown to protest.

[Vejadu]

I was at the Portland, Oregon rally. Had about 100 folks there. Not bad showing for a workday (I took a vacation day to attend). Some of us have to work to pay taxes! No one there from the Portland papers, the local TV or radio stations. Two bloggers present . . . presume that's where we'll all be going for news as the newspapers tank due to poor coverage / analysis (Rocky Mountain News; SF Chronicle; with the NYT hard on their heels). Classic newspaper industry has so much inertia that they simply don't even try any more to cover breaking stories. Compare how quickly Drudge/Instapundit/TheCorner are updated on breaking news with how rapidly a traditional newspaper updates their website.

[JDavid]

I attended the Dallas Tea Party and we were on live local TV news. I tried to count how many people were there and my best guess is between 250-275. By show of hands; for most this was their first "protest" appearance. Limited discussions and preparations were made for future gatherings.

[happy1ga]

I know there were at least 600-700 people at the one in Chicago. I have a friend who spoke with an officer there, and that was the approx. number he gave. In ATL, where I live, there had to be a couple of hundred. But, by all means, the MSM ignores it, but if 20 people get together to protest a dog show, then they are all over it.

[Tyrone]

It's great the people are rising up and making a stand against this disaster in the making. Obama is spending money we don't have like a drunken sailor. Bush was pathetic, but Obama is flat out dangerous. He spending is based on the economy rebounding by next year. The Congressional Budget Office threw some cold water of reality on that quick.

[machinepolitick]

I attended the Atlanta protest and it had a pretty good turnout. There were a couple of hundred people standing out in the cold rain for an hour to hear the speakers and raise our signs to the passing motorists. Many of whom were honking and waving in response.
I though it was a good turnout for several reasons. The weather was awful. It was scheduled in the middle of a work day. And, Conservatives are often reticent to make a public statement of their beliefs. I hope this is the beginning of a movement to restore our country to a Constitutional Republic. In fact, that was the message of my sign.
I am a Conservative political artist, and I am trying to spread the message fro limited government and personal Liberty. Conservatives and Libertarians have stood by for far too long and watched our government tear down our country. We've always been afraid to impose our opinions on other people. That is why we are loosing this battle. I say the time to speak out is now. It is time to hold our government accountable. Every single Representative, as well as the President.
To learn more about my art and activities, please visit www.machinepolitick.com. I am currently putting together a blog post for the event with links and pictures from the Atlanta protest.

[Jason Gillman]

Have two gay guys protesting in front of city hall and THAT is news.. But when THOUSANDS across the country make a statement on BAD policy which affects the millions in this country, it is hidden on the technology blog page.

Fox at least had a teaser.

Heads up folks, this will be much bigger before we go away.

[BurfordHolly]

This was set up months ago wealthy right wing John Birch society members and the folks who flogged the William Ayers story, who set up this web "movement" months. Santelli sold out.

You've been scooped by Playboy

http://www.playboy.com/blog/2009/02/backstabber.html

[navyvet48]

There were protests in more than 40 cities not several cities. I organized one in my city. There is another tea party in Kansas City, MO today. We aren't finished yet. There will be more. We are no longer going to sit on our couches.

I noticed they left out the one in Washington, DC, Chicago, IL, Fayettville, NC, Omaha, NE....do I need to list anymore New York City, Orlando, FL.....

The LAT sure underplayed this protest!

[leah]

Voting change will be doubly hard, with the US Census being controlled by the Oval office and Obama's in-house voter fraud organization, Acorn, well-funded by the Democratic Congress. Add to that a slavish advocacy media (gee, where's that Rashid Khalidi tape, LA Times?) and Hollywood's propaganda machine and we could be stuck with this National Socialism for a long time.

[cynthia]

LA Times really has the audacity to say " So called massively shared events" regarding the large gatherings for the TEA PARTIES ,YET the Times itself did many stories about much smaller gatherings on issues THEY support, including the BELOW 75 PERSON PROTEST that the TIMES ran a report on. I think the Times hates that we pulled this off WITHOUT their help or lame reporting !
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Antiwar protests around L.A. tonight (Copy of an actual LA TIMES report)
5:05 PM | March 19, 2008

War_vigilAntiwar protests and a number of arrests marked the five-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Here in Los Angeles, a number of vigils, organized by MoveOn.org, are planned as well, Tami Abdollah reports:
About 75 people are expected at a Beverly Hills vigil at 7 p.m. on the corner of Beverly Drive and Wilshire Boulevard.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Strange, the Tea Parties did not get any coverage like this huge gathering of 75 people did ?
No wonder you probably won't have a job next month. You can't see reality thru all the bias.

[Continuum]

Massively shared protest????

Let's see. 20 wingnuts here, maybe a hundred nutjobbers there.

Funny, how the LA Times missed the fact that there were actually more counter demonstrators.

And, as usual, the neocons fall back on their magically support from the "silent majority" which curiously enough failed to show up at the last election. And, certainly didn't show up at their Santelli Anti-Stimulus rallies.

[Roger H. Cook,MD]

Why all the fuss these same people voted for him and the democrats? They are getting what they voted for.

[Ryan M]

Calling all American Patriots,
Our 1776 Declaration of Independence clearly states “But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their security.” If your political party has a long train of abuses as it become clear to me back in October 2008 with mine, maybe its time to change guard as I did with joining a third party. I chose the Constitution Party.

[pale]

And here we go! All the nutbars and the conspiracy theorists show up in droves to this comment thread.....

Astroturf and the Republicans that fall for it. Every.single.time.

Like sheep. At least they are all amusing!

[Mary]

Playboy's expose of Koch sponsoring the astroturf tea parties is damning, indeed. http://www.playboy.com/blog/2009/02/backstabber.html

Now we know who paid for Michelle Malkin to fly to Seattle and for all the live and dead pigs for her so-called porkulus-palooza.

Me, I think the American people have wised up a little about the hi-jinks of the far right.

[sigh]

LOL @ the playboy article. OH NOES YOU MEAN THEY DIDN'T GET FUNDING FROM SOROS? OH NOES!

I guess all those regular citizens showed up to protest as some huge conspiracy. Have 10 smelly hippies protest something and it's front page national news. Good bye newspapers. We won't miss ya!

[Robert]

Everyone that does not want to live in socialism must start as many tea parties as possible and flood their elected representatives in the House and Senate with how we value our liberty and freedom to be individuals. Educate your neighbors and friends stand up and throw the tea at Congress with letters, e-mails and public demonstrations when possible. Join the founders and patriots that gave us this great nation and “mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor. If we don’t the government is going to take our rights away from us piece by piece and then stifle dissent just as quickly. The movement to deprive us and muzzle us is underway and gaining momentum it must be countered now. The latest score shows 68 million for socialism aided by the influence of nearly all major media sources to 58 million who value our legacy of individual freedom. The current score favors the manipulated ignorant. It must be reversed or we will have to drink socialist tea.

“If you want to remain ignorant and free, you want what never was and never will be.”---Thomas Jefferson

[Peter Francisco American Revolutionary War Hero]

Bailouts? Did you say BAILOUTS or FAILOUTS?

These are not Bailouts they are FAILOUTS it is a Planned Way to Gush Up Poverty and bring FAILURE to the American Way of Live. There is a light at the end of the Tunnel if we refuse to participate and legally find a way to NOT pay any taxes we will end this failed policy quickly. Bartering is a good idea or shutting business down or downsizing for awhile. More people unemployed more hands to receive and less hands producing and paying taxes. If there is No taxes the handouts will end in FAILURE and "obama" will FAILOUT.

Let's learn from the Community Organizer and ACORN playbook. Bring change by any means even if it is thru radical & chaotic means. Put a huge burden on the system so that it will collapse. Protest and demand more & more. Eventually they will give in and not be able to fullfill promises & obligations and FAILOUT. This is how ACORN destroyed the banking & financial system. This is how ACORN got away with FRAUD in voter registrations drives, etc. Overburdening & overloading the system into giving in and then collapse.

It is also time to analyze your financial situation and make hard decisions. Consider not paying your debt, credit cards, mortages, etc. These loansharks could care less about you. They get lowered interest rates and "bailouts" but the consumer only sees rates go UP and their limits lowered to make them look MAXED OUT and destroying their credit score (FICO). This in turn got their APR's raised with other Creditors and it snowballed from there. Same APR's as high as 37%. Time to teach them all a lesson. Time to give yourself a BAILOUT. Stop paying, keep your CASH and get your hand out too.

Don't worry about your FICO score, we'll all be in the same boat. They will have to lower FICO averages and lower limits in order to lend when things turn around. This happened in the 90's if you had 12-24 months of clean credit they could care less what happened prior to that. It can be fixed in a couple of good years. Time to bring these policies to their knees. We don't want a long slow FAILOUT we want to make it happen quickly so we can quickly turn back to the way we were which made us prosperous with American ideals not with failed frantic financial fantasies that NEVER worked anywhere anytime.

America and our Traditions, Culture, Celebrations, Way of Life & Everything that made us great is under Constant Attack by the EROSIONISTS time to Stand Up and Speak Up. Remember NO JUSTICE NO PEACE.

Obanomics = GUSH UP POVERTY and eventually O-pression.

This is the BUSH 3rd TERM (on Steroids) that Erosionists Warned us about. Endless War, Huge Deficits, loosing liberties and Ballooning Government. Warmongering Continues where are the Erosionist Professional Protesters Code Pink & Cindey Sheehan? What happened to "War is not the Answer"?

PONZI PREZ is a FRAUD.

&&

Bush “W” created military support and rebuilding jobs in Iraq that helped to end Socialistic Dictator and build a Democratic country, Iraq.

Bush’s 3rd Term “O” is creating Welfare & Social Jobs with a Socialistic Dictator that will Destroy a Democratic country, America.

Bailouts = Failouts

Reaganomics = Trickle Down Economy (equal opportunity for all)

Obanomics = Gush Up Poverty (equal poverty for all)

[D. blough]

How can we revolt with the mainstream media? Why don't we have mainstream conservative news. Our mainstream media is run like a third world country. Where is our free press and responsible journalisim? Don't "we the people..." have the right to have fair free press? Is there going to be an election for Obama (comander and thief!) like Chavez and it won't be reported. How can we over throw the mainstream media!! How can we take down, Chris Mathews, Katie Couric, Ann curry, Matt Lauer, charlie gibson. How can anyone with an education accept what is happening to our country? The very media who hates control and power from the conservative government is creating nothing but contro/powerl with socializing our country and have government involved in everything. The way things are going we are going have to get permission to poop from our new government. Is this what Obama means by "change"!

[Suzy]

I was at the San Diego protest and there were 500 people -- I personally talked to the police who did a head count. One local TV station said "a few dozen" protesters and I called them to blast them about their misleading reporting. By the 5:00 PM news, they had corrected it and somewhat accurately reported the event.

It was not just a few "wing nuts" as someone reported above. Most of the people I talked to had never been to a protest, including my 65 year old parents who came with me. Most had not heard the CNBC guy either.

As for support, 50% of the cars that drove by honked, including taxi drivers, truck drivers, UPS drivers, people in expensive SUVs and even hybrids. Only one jerk jeered us and he kept driving by -- so this one guy was the only "counter-demonstration we saw.

The Dems in Congress better be running scared. This movement will only grow as they spend more before 2010. Only a few years ago, Republicans controlled the House and Senate and there has not been a huge demographic shift in 4 years. All of the seats gained since 2006 could easily shift back to Republican in the House in 2010 and that would put a serious end to Obama's agenda.

[ocounty]

Yes! The next time we have one of these, my husband and I will be proud to stand up and say "History Matters!" In the 1960s and 70s the government tried throwing money at social problems and shoring up failing industries (remember the steel industry? Remember the coal industry? Remember the savings and loan industry?) It doesn't work - you don't bailout people that make stupid mistakes - any parent can tell you that - otherwise they will keep making them. And you don't penalize the people who didn't make the mistakes by making them pay for those who did. I'm sorry that twice in my lifetime, massive greed and stupidity is going to lead to pain and suffering for many - but I and others like me are raising our children to be strong, contributing and charitable members of a capitalist society - not a socialist one, and we will do whatever it takes to ensure that for our children - just as our forefathers did.

[California Girl]

YES WE CAN! YES WE WILL KEEPTHIS GOING TILL "WE THE PEOPLE" GET
THE ANSWERS NEEDED TO SLEEP SAFE AND SOUND AT NIGHTS....
WE LOVE AMERICA....AND WE WILL JOIN TOGETHER AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE ...
WE ARE "HARD WIRED" TO BE STONG AND OUR LOVE OF COUNTRY
MAKES "WE THE PEOPLE".... RIGHT....IN THE NAME ALL WHO HAVE SHED BLOOD FOR THE FREE LOADERS....NOW WANTING FREE RIDE.....AS BEFORE
WE WORK FOR ALL WE HAVE AND DO NOT ASK/BEG/AND EXPECT FREE RIDES .....THAT YOU THE PEOPLE PAY FOR!!!!!!
THAT IS THE AMERICAN WAY!!!!! The only way we know!

[TQTGA]

Teapartiers are frothing at the mouth. Don't they understand that the votes on the stimulus have already been cast? When the horse has escaped, it's too late to close the barn door.
This movement, cheerled by rightwing on-air personalities and flamefanned by bloggers, may be long-running PR stunt to hurt Obama and Democrats running for Congress in '10, but I predict it will be largely forgotten by then.
If you teapartiers are serious about undoing the damage you rail against, then go protest all the Republican governors who are taking the money. And If you persuade a governor to reject the money, then get ready to protest the Republicans in his/her state legislature (because the bill provides a way for the legislature to bypass the governor).