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'Tea party' protest at Idaho Capitol to send message to Washington, D.C.

Protesters will rally, march and eat a pork lunch near the Capitol Wednesday.

BY DAN POPKEY - dpopkey@idahostatesman.com

Published: 04/13/09

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

TEA PARTY SCHEDULE

Tea party events begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday at Ann Morrison Park, where posters will be prepared. The formal program begins at 11 a.m. and protesters will march to the Ann Frank Human Rights Memorial for an 11:30 a.m. ceremony.

At 12:30 p.m., the group will rally at Capitol Park, across from the Capitol. A pork roast lunch is planned "so participants can eat and send a symbolic message to Washington at the same time," according to a press release.

Foes of a growing federal government will make Boise one of more than 600 protest sites as part of a nationwide campaign recalling the 1773 Boston Tea Party.

The event will be highlighted by a 12:30 p.m. rally in Capitol Park, across from the Capitol. Organizers have invited sympathetic Idaho legislators.

"It's important that our own state legislators hear our voice and get a feel for the intense amount of energy that's out there right now," said Al Trees, a spokesman for the Boise group. "They ignore it at their peril."

The tea party revival was inspired by CNBC's Rick Santelli, who says President Obama and Congress are advancing a bankrupt, liberal agenda. The first protests were in February in about 40 cities. The first Boise event drew a handful of protesters.

The effort has since been heavily promoted by FOX News. FOX personalities Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck and Neil Cavuto are scheduled for rallies in Atlanta, San Antonio and Sacramento, respectively.

Trees said the stakes are high: "Right now, we're sliding toward a place where bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., are running our lives and making all of our major decisions for us. They're already sucking us dry with out-of-control spending and taxation. They're deciding how much we can earn, what we can and can't drive and even what we can say and where we say it."

Trees said organizers hope to turn the event into a lasting movement to protect constitutional values.

Dan Popkey: 377-6438

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