Photos of DC Tea Party: thousands or millions?
From the Daily Mail, which reported, “Up to two million people marched to the U.S. Capitol today….”
Michelle Malkin reported that liberal “nutroots” claimed the screenshot from a livecam she posted of the Tea Party was photoshopped since the American flag was shown at half-mast. How quickly they forget 9/11, which the government still recognized early on 9/12….
The Washington Examiner reported, “Local police agencies estimated around 1.2 million people attended the rally, but several news outlets, including ABC and Fox News, said the crowd was nearly double that, with an estimated 2 million people in attendance.”
But ABC went out of its way to post a special article entitled, “ABC News was misquoted on crowd size: ABC News reported DC rally size in tens of thousands, not 1M to 1.5M as activist said.”
Rather, said ABC, “[A]pproximately 60,000 to 70,000 people flooded Pennsylvania Ave, according to the Washington DC Fire Department.”…
CNN reported at 11:47p last night, “An official crowd estimate was not available, but reporters at the scene described the massive crowd as reaching the tens of thousands….
Finally, the New York Times reported:
A sea of protesters filled the west lawn of the Capitol and spilled onto the National Mall on Saturday in the largest rally against President Obama since he took office….
The demonstrators numbered well into the tens of thousands, though the police declined to estimate the size of the crowd…. But the magnitude of the rally took the authorities by surprise, with throngs of people streaming from the White House to Capitol Hill for more than 3 hours….
As Mr. Obama traveled to MN on Saturday to rally support for his health care plan, he flew over the assembling crowd in Marine One. The helicopter could be seen flying overhead as the demonstrators marched down Pennsylvania Avenue.
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
It will be fun to watch Rachel Madcow try to downplay this like she has every other tea party and anti-Obama demonstration. She will give it her best shot, like a couple of people sitting on a park bench will be called an “example” of the “crowds” that were actually at a demonstration. She’ll call in some reporter from Air America, a real bastion of objectivity, to “report”. She has her work cut out for her.
but if it was a rally IN SUPPORT of Obama, I’m sure the numbers would be in the MILLIONS…..
Sheesh. Looks like at least a million people to me.
I was just listening to radio station WBBM in Chicago. They talked about a RALLY at the capitol and said that people had homemade signs and even the organizers were surprised at the turnout – but never mentioned the numbers.
The very next story was about Obama speaking to supporters in MN. The opening was a screaming/cheering crowd (very loud) and they said there were over 15,000 people!
I have really got to stop listening to that station.
people should check out Christina’s post at real choice dot blogspot dot com
(if I post the link it takes forever to get the comment approved)
apparently the museums weren’t allowing people to take in signs even if they were INSIDE a person’s bag.
I was doing some Internet searches last night on the Saturday, September 12, 2009 Tea Party Rally in Washington, D.C. The overall conclusion I came to was that a huge crowd assembled to protest the philosophy and practices of the Obama administration and the Democrat led congress. You have posted a couple of the better photo shots that back up that assertion. I am aware that some of the protestors are not concerned with the right-to-life issue or with the moral/cultural/spiritual decadence of our nation. But I am sure many of them are. At least most of them are concerned with halting and reversing the road to socialist and fascist tyranny. For that I am glad.
It looked like the biggest crowd since the Rally For Life 90 at the same location! 2 million people? Wow! The Obamaites and the 125,000 or less that still listen to Air America (if there are any stations left) will downplay the rally.
Great crowd I wish I was there!
As a former Chicagoan who has seen many a crowd for Taste of Chicago and the Grant Park fireworks, I can tell just by LOOKING at these pictures that there are more than “tens of thousands” of people on those streets. This crowd looks every bit as big as the 1-2 million people who regularly crowd into Chicago’s Loop for the fireworks and feasting–if not bigger. If they’d have been Obama supporters, the news outlets would have numbered them in the tens of millions. :-) But then, again, if our news outlets could actually be counted on to report NEWS rather than personality fluff, Obama wouldn’t BE president in the first place, would he?
JB
Let’s not forget that there were hundreds of local rallies across the country as well. When all is said and done the numbers are staggering.
Of course, whatever the number reported by the MSM, it is 100% more than what they usually report for the right-to-life rally in January.
Those pictures (with different signs of course) DO remind me of March for Life in DC (coverage provided by EWTN of course).
I find it kind of amusing that there is still such a disparity in the reporting of crowd numbers since people have been organizing at the Capitol for generations…. Maybe next time there’s a rally planned, the organizers could print numbered placards for attendees to wear on their backs. Or, do we need a counting czar?
There is an interesting article on estimating crowds in Washington, DC. from Washington City Paper.com
(excerpt)
….In July 2004, researchers Clark McPhail and John D. McCarthy (of the University of Illinois and Penn State University, respectively) published a paper on the Million Man March controversy in Caliber, an academic journal published by the University of California Press. The piece was entitled “Who Counts and How.”….
….. The researchers concluded that the Mall, which takes up 2,620,515 square feet, could fit only 1,048,206 people, and that’s if they took up every inch of ground space and each person is allotted just 2.5 square feet, or about the size of the front page of USA Today….
The photos of yesterday’s Rally show people shoulder-to-shoulder for as long as the eye can see.
Here’s the link to the story in the Washington City Paper:
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/display.php?id=36682
The newspapers are completely evil.2 million people in D.C. and it is not in the headlines. Boycott the media and the press. Don’t buy their lies. Go see Michelle Malkin.com She has a great video.Also,go see NewsBusters.org/Exposing liberal media
I had friends that went yesterday. That photo was not photoshopped! They said it was jam packed and yes, there were millions!
“Or, do we need a counting czar?”
Posted by: Janet at September 13, 2009 11:16 AM
lol, Janet! But if Obama did indeed hire a counting czar, we’d be looking at reports of about 5k people!
I am so glad that Obama flew over the crowd. I would have LOVED to know what thoughts were running through his mind at that time. I hope he wasn’t napping at the time.
i hope obimbo was watching because they are the
same people that are going to get rid of his sorry
as–
Whatever the (dingle) Bari White House has to say, my reply to them is, “YOU LIE!”
Was told that Flordia was very well represented, thank you very much. :0)
correction: Florida
I was honored and encouraged that so many other Americans, Dems, Repubs, Indeps, blacks, whites, yellows…babies in stollers and elderly with walkers, wheel-chaired vets. HUNDREDS of thousands came to show solidarity for our beloved land. Each one of us, came at our own expense, drove 10 hours or more to get there to say among other things, WAKE UP AMERICA and SMELL THE TYRANNY! My sign said, “Our troops are dying for our FREEDOM, while our government is dying to take it away.” A black reverend from Louisiana and Jim Demint from SC got the greatest ovation. Congress…CAN YOU HEAR US NOW? Be encouraged fellow Christ-followers, God is still in control and always will be – not our corrupt and greedy politicians.
To set the record straight..The President says that all the doctors and nurses support this bill – The American Medical Assoc. and America Nurses Assoc. – Only 16% or our nations physicians and only 6.2% of Americas nurses belong to these organizations! They do not represent us! Just one of the many distortions our government makes. I have been an RN for over 25 years – we all want reform – Not this kind of “reform.” This March on Washington was more about our fight against corruption and big government, the move towards a dictatorship with 32 unelected unvetted far left czars.
May I just derail this thread for just a moment, por favor?
Has anyone here seen District 9? I just got back from the theaters…and guess what?
It’s pro-life (and anti-racism!) and portrays abortion for what it really is: the work of bigotry.
I was there 9/12/09 and was amazed at the number of regular hard working people who were there. These were decent, intelligent people angry at ALL of the politicians for the out of control spending and lack of regard for the constitution. I attended with my two 17 year old daughters and my mother. We found a group who chartered a bus out of Dayton, Ohio to attend the rally. (And we paid $125 each!) We met at 7:30pm on Friday (after working or going to school all week) and drove all night cramped on the bus. This scene happened all over the country, but some groups did stay overnight, and others drove their own vehicles. We unloaded at Freedom Center about 9:30 the next morning and had to begin walking soon afterward, because it was so crowded. The streets from there to the Capital Building were filled with a sea of marching people for at least 3 hours. The Capital lawn area was closed soon after we entered, because the police said it was unsafe for any more people to enter. The people were angry and passionate, yet peaceful, and afterward, the Capital lawn looked like nobody had been there, which speaks for the character of these good people. Some said that after the Obama inaugeration, D.C. looked like a pigsty. We met at 8pm the same night to get back on the bus for the trip home. We arrived home at 7am on Sunday, and many will go back to work and school the next day. When working people gather in this massive number, then I believe that an overwhelming number of American citizens all over the country have had it with the government. The sleeping giant, normally passive and quietly going to work each day, has been awakened !
The believable number is 1.2 million.
It wouldn’t be too difficult to calculate a good estimate of the crowd. It reached all the way back to the Washington Monument on the Mall, and it also reached back along Pennsylvania Ave, with people still coming in!
Several times during the speakers, they had the crowd call in text messages with their cell phones, and this too will be used to gauge the crowd (probably using an average.)
Whatever the actual head count – the reality is: that’s a whole lot of people who made their presence known. If there’s 5 people who didn’t make it for every one who was there – that’s a huge amount of canvassing power.
The administration whoring media can fool themselves, but as more people learn how insipidly cultish their coverage is, the more they’ll go elsewhere for real news.
Raymond V Banner @ 9:11 AM — Libertarians may not be pro-life, but they’re pretty solid behind not paying for abortions, which to them indicates absence of individual responsibility. They uphold Life, liberty and pursuit of happiness… and with so many libertarians believing in reasoning, they are more likely to be persuaded to sound pro-life arguments than those who are fully invested in exploiting the victimization of women through abortion services, in the creation of their glorious utopian socialistic state.
click on my nic to see what’s on my blog.
The Daily Mail of the UK said up to 2 million protesters. That crowd is HUGE from the aerial photos.
C span had nice coverage of freedomworks rally in wash dc.
Also, be sure to look at the hilarious official pace car of obamacare when you visit pharmphun.blogspot. Passing that in emails is NOT spam.
So, the Nazis, the unruly mob, and the domestic terrorist all descended on Washington DC to the tune of 2,000,000 and there was not one arrest? Hmmmmmmm?
“So, the Nazis, the unruly mob, and the domestic terrorist all descended on Washington DC to the tune of 2,000,000 and there was not one arrest? Hmmmmmmm?”
I’m willing to bet that the place was cleaner than when they got there. Damn Terrorists.
When will the MSM just grow up?
WAKING UP THE SLEEPING GIANT AGAIN
VOTE THEM ALL OUT – NO INCUMBENTS IN 2010 or 2012
If we continue to allow our government sponsored media to lie to us about how many people were at this rally in DC…then we get what we deserve. I would love to see all these news outlets go off the air for their lies….especially MSNBC and any others that continue to insult our lives and intelligence. What fools they will prove to be for doing this in the long run. Boycott NBC, ABC and CBS for sure. CNN is on the fence and is at least reporting about this rally. IF this were organized by the socialists the numbers would have been inflated and reported ad nausea. America…We have a long way to go to defeat socialism and these liberals who are draining our wallets for their own lazy selfish pleasure and power. Our kids will pay for our silence if we dont keep this in their faces. We all need to do this at least once a year…next year will be great !!! Fight for our children..they deserve to keep their Heritage
Konan – USA
I’m willing to bet that the place was cleaner than when they got there. Damn Terrorists.
Posted by: UpChuck.Liberals at September 14, 2009 12:00 AM
———-
Cleaning the place up is the whole idea…and of course the politicians there are terrified.
Konan – agreed this needs to be repeated…but I’d say once a week, at least, if not more. At the rate the commies are seizing control, I doubt we have a year.
I heard this morning Barry now wants to “fix” the banking industry as well.
Hang on peeps. We are in for the ride of our lives.
“C span had nice coverage of freedomworks rally in wash dc.”
Posted by: pharmer at September 13, 2009 8:07 PM
I heard on the radio news that C span will be re-playing their coverage of the DC rally tonight.
This is all about the underlying, hideous factor of the racism that is so deeply ingrained in the American character. The attempt to portray this president (Of all people!) as a socialistic, left wing extremist doesn’t even pass the giggle test for people who have bothered to pay attention to their times and their history. Let’s face it – Franklin D. Roosevelt, he ain’t! They can’t obstruct his agenda with a manufactured scandal regarding his personal life, as they did with Bill Clinton. eleven years ago. Their only hope is for enough of the American people to become really frightened by the Big, Bad, Black Bolshevik. An ironic description when one takes into consideration how boringly moderate Obama really is.
Think about this: In the last presidential campaign only one of the nominees of the two major political parties was born in the United States – Barack Obama – John McCain was born in Panama. Do you find it as revealing as I do that it was the black guy had his citizenship called into question? How much more proof do we need of the overt racism that is inherent in that party – or in our own country for that matter? Honestly, this isn’t rocket science, folks!
Joe Wilson and the nincompoops on the far right have opened a Pandora’s Box that may very well prove difficult to close. What they are now doing – consciously or unconsciously – is prompting their brain-dead masses toward violence and intimidation. And let’s not forget the untidy little truism that a lot of these folks are armed and dangerous. Who can forget the fool who showed up outside one of the president’s Town Hall meetings in New Hampshire last month with a gun strapped to his leg? My biggest worry is that that little incident is merely a small illustration of worst things to come.
Listen, I really hate to be the bearer of bad tidings here, I really do. But if you can’t foresee some kind of Timothy McVeigh-style domestic incident somewhere down the pike, you’re a hell of a lot more optimistic than I am. Also, if you are not seriously alarmed by what is now happening to our beloved country, you’re not paying attention.
And now Glenn Beck is all set to become the Martin Loony King of the Far Right with his stupid March on Washington the other day.
Isn’t life interesting?
http://www.tomdegan.blogspot.com
Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
“When will the MSM just grow up?”
Posted by: Phil Schembri is HisMan at September 14, 2009 12:47 AM
Never.
These are the people whose parents made them go to college. When they couldn’t pass their math class, they switched to journalism.
Journalism is an argument against letting everyone go to college whether they can think or not.
Anyway, a group of citizens protesting should always make the front page. I don’t care if they are gays, anti-war, anti-abortion, tax protestors, animal rights. Doesn’t matter. If the media were honest, any protest would have a helicopter fly over and there would be an honest (hard to imagine) effort to count the people and get their message. Truth is, the gov’t does not want to hear from citizens be they gay, prolife, anti-war, whatever. They want our dollars to buy themselves a seat on the gravy train of influence peddling. They do not want to serve the people. Vote for all new leadership. No incumbents. How about an anti-incumbent rally and a term-limit rally. Say goodbye to representatives who have never lived or worked in the real world.
ITA w/Shari’s post. My sister and I went to the March. People were considerate of each other but were energized when the speakers spoke of how we needed a change, etc. I thought the organization of all these people coming into one place was OUTSTANDING. We traveled by bus from northern Ohio (only $60) and pretty much stayed awake til we traveled home at 8:00 p.m. Saturday. We came home tired but so glad we went! We saw some great signs. Stickers being worn “Abortion is not Healthcare” were everywhere. Again, so happy we went! Now to continue this upward trend.
Tom Degan,
A “manufactured scandal” with Clinton. You are being funny, right?
Oh, and the only person bringing up the issue of race is YOU. When all else fails its whiners like you who scream “RACE!”, then accuse others of racism.
1/2 of the mall (the Monument side) was being used by the 24th Annual Black Family Reunion Event.
Lee M.,
The Washington Post had an article on line. People at the event were calling Saturday’s protestors “racists”. Are Americans paranoid? What’s going on?
“But Colleen Freeman, 50, said many of Obama’s critics are motivated by race. “A lot of people are protesting, and they don’t even know what they are protesting,” she said. “Some of these folks are getting Social Security, and it’s because their grandparents put in the work for it. Now they won’t give Obama a chance to work. Some know they need health care but don’t want it to be Obama that gives it to them.”
“Alan Sims, 38, is a home improvement contractor. He supports Obama and the changes he’s advocating, but he said criticism comes with the job. Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush, he said, was judged harshly by black Americans because he is white.”
“Race is always,” Sims said, “going to be a factor in American politics.”
excerpt from:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/13/AR2009091302538.html
I go to the NASCAR race in Bristol twice a year and just went in August. That track holds 170k or so fans, so I know what that number of people looks like in a group, and I’ve lived in DC strolled down Pennsylvania Ave so I know how big it is. This looks like several multiples of a Bristol crowd.
P.S. Before I’m belittled by some basement-dwelling 34-year-old, Bristol held 167k several years ago before they added a bunch of nosebleed seats and a bunch more suites, yet is still advertised at 167,000 because politics is everywhere, and you can’t advertise anyplace as bigger than NASCAR’s home, Daytona, at 168k.
I’m willing to accept that the questioning Obama’s birth whereabouts can (in some people, at least) be racism, but to accuse every single one of these protestors of racism is just plain ridiculous. That sounds like when Kanye West swore that Bush was racist (despite the fact that Bush appointed two African American secretaries of state).
I don’t even know where to begin when people accuse others of false racism. It’s just frustrating, and trust, me, there’s nothing more annoying than a loon running around swearing that all conservatives are racist- nothing more irritating than a stereotyping man who thinks that he knows everything.
I can’t say that I agree with the protest because I don’t know enough about economics to really get what’s happening, but to call it racism demonstrates a clear ignorance on your part, Tom Degan.
The only crowd I have seen on the Mall that was even close to being this large was the crowd that listened to MLK’s I have a dream speech. I think the reason is that this is about more than healthcare. It is about civil rights and freedom as well. The silent majority has “at last” become vocal. The “Powers that Be” are in big trouble!
I was there Saturday. Don’t know how many people were there but yes it was absolutely slammed. I started marching down Pennsylvania Ave about 15 minutes after we were told it started. We walked down and eventually decided to stand on the marble area around the Theodore Roosevelt statue. It took about 25-30 minutes to walk down the street and get there. From then on it took over and hour and a half for Pennsylvania Ave to clear and reopen.
We were told we didn’t have a permit to be on the National Mall so we had to pack in. From where I was I could not really see much of the crowd on the North and South lawns but could tell they were completely packed. But from what I’m hearing there were people pack down other blocks to the North and South.
There was a helicopter that flew over after everyone had gotten down there I believe. So there has to be a shot of everyone.
I don’t know how many people were there. But to me 60-70,000 sounds way too low. You know if it’d been a Pro-Obama rally, the media would have been saying millions though. I was told the CNN video coverage stayed behind the reflecting pond so you couldn’t even see all the people who were out on the lawns.
Having actually been at the rally, I can assure those who weren’t that there were well over a million people there. They were all polite and well-mannered. Over a million people, and NO arrests. I talked with a couple of paramedics and they reported NO injuries or other circumstances where their help was needed. At the end of the rally, I saw a woman in her 60’s walking around, picking up trash (what little there was). The best way to describe the event was like a family reunion without the drunk uncle.
People Everywhere Concerned About (the) Country
PECAN!
I belive socialism comes from the problems of capitalism, lead by seemingly popular leaders, militaries, or genuine social activist whose leader shipwill be taken by crooked power mogorers from with in.
We got to correct thr problems in capitalism timely. other wise we will be forced to face. or be taken over by socialism. That is what we have seen in Africa.
A smaller problem creates a bigger problem if it is not corrected timely. Even if I donot want to side with any party because of my shallow knwoledges each party, or lesser and insignificant ideological diffrence between the two big parties to my perception.
However I remained a stubborn supporter of the health care which is obsolete to the society, the system and the advancement America has attained, with respect to its service.
In a simple example it is easier to fly to India and get treated if you have no insurance, or order your prescription medicine from canada, india, china….than to buy from America, etc; etc…. A lot can be said.
I belive to save this country from Socialism we have to support Obama at least with this issue.I feel he is saving his country from the grip of socialism, if we didn’t correct it now socailism will not be a choice but a must. I have the experiance on how socialism is coming, and have experienced its negative effect.PLEASE LET US HELP OBAMA IN HIS ENDAVEOUR TO STOP OR DISSRUPT THE PATH TO SOCIALISM.
Health issue is a nessity not a choise. It is a question of life and death.
Thanks
Posted by: Tom Degan at September 14, 2009 11:14 AM
“They can’t obstruct his agenda with a
manufactured
scandal regarding his personal life, as they did with Bill Clinton. eleven years ago.”
——————————————————-
Maybe Tom is referring to the ‘semen stained blue dress’. That is the first time I have ever heard anyone try to argue that the ‘blue dress’ was manufactured evidence. Bill Clinton admitted to the nation he lied about his daliance with ‘that woman, ms Lewinsky.’ Bill not only lied to the nation, he committed ‘perjury’ in an attempt to hide his pattern of conduct in a deposition in a separate incident of sexual misconduct with one Paula Jones while he was governor of Arkansas.
The state of Arkansas (hardly a bastion of republican conservatisim) revoked Bill’s license to practice law.
But what the heck, the devils are in the details and none of that ever happened if you can just change what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.
yor bro ken
I live in DC and am certain that the crowd was tiny. It was a non-event to locals – no traffic, no subway issues, business as usual. Those photos above show 25-30,000 people, max.
You have to laugh at PMSNBC, especially The (Mr.)Ed, (the talking horse patoot) Show.
If the crowds, whatever their numbers, in Washington or at tea parties are so insignificant, why even mention them? Why go to such distortions to “prove” how “small” they are? Who cares?
Also, now the liberals must resort to manufacturing “racism”. Joe Wilson “really” intended to say “you lie boy”. Oh, you read the man’s mind? Why look at his S.Carolina background, that’s proof positive! Gee, tell us the last time you looked at Democrat Senator Robert “Sheets” Byrd’s klan background.
Failed American president, Jimmy “Peanuts” Carter has also added his brilliance to this discussion,
charging that white Americans don’t believe a black man can be president. Really Jimmy? How about some studies to back up that assertion?
The state run media is really scraping the barrel.
This is exactly what Rush predicted would happen.
Ooops,
I meant to say contortions, not distortions!
The best response to the fringe media, no longer the Main Stream Media, can be found at the following site. Operation can you see us now http://www.operationcanyouhearusnow.com/
Fromm all honest accounts well over one million attended the 9-12 DC Tea Party. GOD bless ‘um!
I have done my own study base on a devised stationary methodology and calculation which you can find here:
http://deathbymedia.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/912-washington-dc-tea-party-rally-crowd-estimation/
It’s backed by visual evidence (pictures and clips) all available in the same entry, plus determining the boundaries of the rally and calculation of the final tally derived from the density of the crowd at each given block. My calculus puts the figures around 130k up to 160k.