UPDATE: Here is another account with more information. I didn’t know, for example, that a guy attended with an Obama tee shirt and was invited to speak several times but declined. That was across the street where there was more room and where the speakers were.
Here is the OC Register with a typical undercount. There was a head count of 600 by one observer but the Register gets it wrong more than it’s right. I was a subscriber for many years but no more. Oddly enough, the Register is delivered to my house every morning and goes straight to the recycling bin.
I went down to the corner of La Paz and Marguerite, the putative city center of Mission Viejo to see the Tea Party rally. I would say the group was larger than the last one last year. There were groups on all four corners although the southeast corner seems to have the largest group. They filled the sidewalk and, this time, spilled over into the parking lot of the office building. The total number was about 750 to 1,000. I took a number of pictures to show the signs, especially.
This is walking up Marguerite from south to north. This was the most crowded corner, I thought.
Lots of flags, big and small
This is looking across at the northwest corner. This was about 6 PM and there were 100 to 150 people there.
More signs.
This is from the parking lot behind. The sidewalk was too crowded.
More signs and again the view across the intersection. Lots of honking.
There was music and some speeches on the corner across La Paz. More room there.
There were lots of kids there. I would say the average age was about 50 with the median very close to that, as well.
Democracy in action. I saw few signs that were not about spending.
I don’t know who this guy is but will find out.
More signs.
Spilling over the curb into the street. Nobody seemed to mind. Lots of honking.
Here’s the spillover into the parking lot behind as the crowd got bigger. This was about 6:30. I headed home after this. It was a successful demonstration for a small town like Mission Viejo.
Tags: Mission Viejo, politics
So this is what a violent racist mob looks like, eh?
I think we were too small a demonstration for the invaders. I saw no hostile signs.
There was one infiltrator at the Oceanside Tea Party rally, but he was spotted and followed with signs pointing out his status.
Somebody should have taken his picture and posted it.
Ours was a little smaller than last year’s but not by much. No provocateurs here, either. It’s too small a town and a person could be recognized. I was ready to bust ’em if I saw any.
Mike, his picture was indeed taken and posted.
And in San Diego, this lefty plant from a local law form was tagged. Priceless!
The story on both is here.