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Hundreds of anti-tax protesters gather for a "tea party" in front of the Douglas County Courthouse in Roseburg Wednesday.
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ENLARGE
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Anti-tax protesters hold a flag upside down as they gather for a "tea party" in front of the Douglas County Courthouse.
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ENLARGE
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Karen and Mike Meier of Sutherlin hung tea bags from their glasses during the "tea party" in front of the Douglas County Courthouse.
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Shouts of “Enough!” rang through downtown Roseburg Wednesday evening as hundreds of Douglas County residents covered the courthouse lawn and called for an end to what they consider wasteful government spending.
American flags flapped in the breeze and protest signs jutted toward the sky at the “tea party” rally, inspired by the 1773 Boston Tea Party, that coincided with protests across the country on the day of the income tax filing deadline.
Glendale resident Loren Hooker, 51, said these days are not so different from a time when colonists in America found themselves isolated from the British Parliament.
“We’ve got the same thing going on today. The people in Washington are totally out of touch,” said Hooker, holding a sign that read “Obama and the democrats are wrong,” on one side and “Bush and the republicans were wrong,” on the other.
Other protesters held signs criticizing the federal government and the stimulus plan. They called for lower taxes and an end to government pet projects and bailouts.
“ ‘Change’ is all I have left after taxes,” read one sign, an apparent dig at President Barack Obama’s campaign platform.
Several local residents, including some veterans and business owners, addressed the enthusiastic crowd, estimated by police to have reached 700 to 800 people.
Those who spoke called on the government to be more respectful of taxpayers’ property, and encouraged everyone to contact politicians and take control of their rights.
“We need to jam their lines, we need to jam their mailboxes.” said former Douglas County Commissioner Mike Winters, a local businessman, addressing the crowd. “We need to jam their minds.”
Winters disputed the image he said has been portrayed by national media that tea party protesters around the country are “fringe, whacko extremists.”
Rich Raynor, a Roseburg real estate broker who ran for county commissioner last year and organized Wednesday’s event, told the crowd that the gathering was not about political parties or other differences.
“We’ve come together as Americans,” he said.
Kelly Aasen, 45, of Roseburg said she came to the event to support the community and protest the burden created by government spending that will fall on future generations.
“They’re the ones that are going to have to pay for this,” she said.
As the event came to a close after nearly two hours, attention turned to the toilet propped up on the steps of the courthouse.
Far from the Boston Harbor, and without shiploads full of tea, protesters dumped a spittoon full of tea into the commode and flushed.
“Your tax dollars at work,” Raynor said.
• You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@nrtoday.com.
American flags flapped in the breeze and protest signs jutted toward the sky at the “tea party” rally, inspired by the 1773 Boston Tea Party, that coincided with protests across the country on the day of the income tax filing deadline.
Glendale resident Loren Hooker, 51, said these days are not so different from a time when colonists in America found themselves isolated from the British Parliament.
“We’ve got the same thing going on today. The people in Washington are totally out of touch,” said Hooker, holding a sign that read “Obama and the democrats are wrong,” on one side and “Bush and the republicans were wrong,” on the other.
Other protesters held signs criticizing the federal government and the stimulus plan. They called for lower taxes and an end to government pet projects and bailouts.
“ ‘Change’ is all I have left after taxes,” read one sign, an apparent dig at President Barack Obama’s campaign platform.
Several local residents, including some veterans and business owners, addressed the enthusiastic crowd, estimated by police to have reached 700 to 800 people.
Those who spoke called on the government to be more respectful of taxpayers’ property, and encouraged everyone to contact politicians and take control of their rights.
“We need to jam their lines, we need to jam their mailboxes.” said former Douglas County Commissioner Mike Winters, a local businessman, addressing the crowd. “We need to jam their minds.”
Winters disputed the image he said has been portrayed by national media that tea party protesters around the country are “fringe, whacko extremists.”
Rich Raynor, a Roseburg real estate broker who ran for county commissioner last year and organized Wednesday’s event, told the crowd that the gathering was not about political parties or other differences.
“We’ve come together as Americans,” he said.
Kelly Aasen, 45, of Roseburg said she came to the event to support the community and protest the burden created by government spending that will fall on future generations.
“They’re the ones that are going to have to pay for this,” she said.
As the event came to a close after nearly two hours, attention turned to the toilet propped up on the steps of the courthouse.
Far from the Boston Harbor, and without shiploads full of tea, protesters dumped a spittoon full of tea into the commode and flushed.
“Your tax dollars at work,” Raynor said.
• You can reach reporter Chelsea Duncan at 957-4246 or by e-mail at cduncan@nrtoday.com.
