NWI Patriots Blog

Can you believe it’s almost time for the Taxpayer March On DC on 9/12/09?    The Tea Party Express bus tour will end its nationwide journey to rally citizens to oppose the out-of-control spending, bailouts, higher taxes and growth in the size and power of government in DC, with the march on the Capitol being the crowning event.

We’ve heard that there are over 40,000 people registered for the march.  How many people will actually be there is anybody’s guess.  If you’re going and haven’t registered already, you can do that here. There is no cost to register for the march.

We got an update from the March on DC people with more information about rules and events.  For anyone who’s going, or knows someone who is, here’s a summary of what we have so far:

The agenda for Thursday, Friday and Saturday is here.

Assembly for the march:

Saturday morning, Sept. 12, is the big day for the March on Washington. We will be gathering at Freedom Plaza at 9 a.m. and will hear from grassroots leaders from around the country. We will have a stage and some music to go along with the speakers.  Our new start time for the March itself is 11:30 a.m.  There will be a Revolutionary War re-enactment around 8 a.m.

Freedom Plaza
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20004

Map here.

Getting together with others from your state:

There is no formal organization or reserved space for states. Look for your state flag and gather with your group the best you can. The organizers will make announcements from the stage about the order of the states.

NWIP will be bringing our flag that was flown over the Capitol in honor of Northwest Indiana Patriots and the State of Indiana flag.  Thanks to Patriot Matt for making the flagpole!

Exchange cell phone numbers with people you want to meet up with for the march.

Security:

Former military people will be voluntary security people and will be wearing distinctive T-shirts.

While participating in the March on Washington, you will be under the jurisdiction of the United States Capitol Police. Here is a list of things to remember on Capitol Grounds:

* Signs with supports cannot be more than ¾ of an inch in diameter at their largest point
* Sign supports must be wood and must have dull ends
* Supports cannot have protruding nails, screws, or bolts
* Signs cannot offer items for sale, solicit contributions, or engage in commercial advertisement of any kind
* Signs are not permitted within Capitol buildings
* Tents, camping equipment, bedrolls, or shelters of any kind are prohibited
* Do not climb, remove, or damage any statue, seat, wall, fountain, or elevator tower, or any tree, shrub or other landscaping feature
* Do not offer anything for sale or solicit contributions on Capitol Grounds
* Firearms, explosives, clubs, missile, or any other weapons of any kind are prohibited–even anything that looks like a firearm (DC takes this seriously)
* Open flames are prohibited

Failure to abide by these rules governing the use of Capitol Grounds could result in fines, arrest, or both.

The Capitol Police guidelines are here (PDF).

Flags:

Must be on wooden or PVC poles: no metal
Must have two blunt ends
If you bring small flags with pointed ends, cover with eraser heads or foam

First aid:

There will be a first aid station staffed by doctors and RNs, and organizers with first aid back packs will be in the march.

Non-marchers and disabled accommodations:

There will be an area for those who will not be marching roped off in front of the stage.  There will be full sign language translations provided for all speakers.

Parade route:

To begin at 11:30 a.m. down Pennsylvania Ave. The march ends and the protest begins at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol.

Map here.

There will be a clear path of travel, marked with signs and volunteers to show the way. Look for the colonial re-enactment folks.

What to Bring:

small umbrellas, hats, caps
bottled water, bag lunch
lawn chairs that you can carry in
cameras
blankets
coolers
backpacks

*please don’t litter.. we will have trash cans for your use
*everything will be inspected by police

What not to Bring:

tents, canopies
nothing to stake in the ground
nothing to sell

One other point that is important: the demonstration will take place on the grassy areas in front of the Capitol. We are not permitted to protest on the streets once we complete the March from Freedom Plaza. Please fill in the West Lawn and the surrounding grassy areas, but do not remain on 1st Street. There will be lots of open space along the West Front where we can congregate and listen to the speakers.

The organizers are working closely with DC police to make sure the march goes smoothly.  They have been working tirelessly for months to bring this about.  Thank you to everyone involved with 912dc.org.

If you can’t make it to Washington, there are 9/12 rallies and Tea Parties being held across the country.  Plan to go to one near you and help us tell Washington “Enough is Enough!”

Tags: March on DC, Tea Party, Tea Party Express

This entry was posted on Saturday, September 5th, 2009 at 3:37 pm and is filed under Getting The Message Out. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.