Tea Party protests

This article is about the 21st-century protests themselves. For the Tea Party movement as an ongoing entity, see Tea Party movement. For protests in colonial America, see Boston Tea Party, Chestertown Tea Party, Edenton Tea Party and Philadelphia Tea Party.

Tea Party protests
Part of response to government social and fiscal policies
DatePredominately 2009–2010
Location
United States
Caused byGovernment spending and red tape, national debt, taxation, social liberalism
GoalsGovernment adherence to the Constitution, reduce taxation, reduce spending and waste, social conservatism
Methods
StatusEnded
A Tea Party protest in Hartford, Connecticut, on April 15, 2009
Tea Party protesters on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall on September 12, 2009

The Tea Party protests were a series of protests throughout the United States that began in early 2009. The protests were part of the larger political Tea Party movement.[1] Most Tea Party activities have since been focused on opposing efforts of the Obama administration, and on recruiting, nominating, and supporting candidates for state and national elections.[2][3] The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the Boston Tea Party, whose principal aim was to protest taxation without representation.[4][5] Tea Party protests evoked images, slogans and themes from the American Revolution, such as tri-corner hats and yellow Gadsden "Don't Tread on Me" flags.[6][7] The letters T-E-A have been used by some protesters to form the backronym "Taxed Enough Already".[8]

Commentators promoted Tax Day events on various blogs, Twitter, and Facebook, while the Fox News Channel regularly featured televised programming leading into and promoting various protest activities.[9] Reaction to the tea parties included counter-protests expressing support for the Obama administration, and dismissive or mocking media coverage of both the events and their promoters.[9][10]

  1. ^ "Tea Party definition," About.com, January 28, 2016 Archived November 19, 2012, at the Wayback Machine, retrieved September 28, 2016.
  2. ^ Brian Lockhart (August 21, 2011). "GOP chair welcomes tea party". NewsTimes. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  3. ^ "News Archive 01". Florida Tea Party. Archived from the original on August 31, 2010. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
  4. ^ "Tea Party Convention Gives Boost to Newcomer Politicians". FOXNews.com. February 5, 2010. Archived from the original on February 9, 2010. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  5. ^ Thomas, Townshend Duties, 246.
  6. ^ Oneal, Michael; Janet Hook (April 16, 2009). "Anti-Obama rebellion poses risk for the GOP". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 4, 2010. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
  7. ^ Taxpayers Strike Back With 'Tea Parties' . Special Report with Bret Baier. Published March 16, 2009.
  8. ^ Anne Schroeder Mullins (April 8, 2009). "T.E.A. = Taxed Enough Already". The Politico. Archived from the original on April 24, 2010. Retrieved June 17, 2009.
  9. ^ a b Fox teas up a tempest Archived April 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. By Michael Calderone. The Politico. Published April 15, 2009.
  10. ^ Burgin, Aaron. "Demonstrators decry bailouts, taxes at Tax Day tea parties". Press Enterprise. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved June 16, 2009.