NWI Patriots Blog

What a day!  Over 1000 people forsook family barbecues on Labor Day and came out to Battell Park in Mishawaka, on the St. Joseph River, to show their support for the mission of the Tea Party Express national bus tour.  The tour has hosted a series of tea party rallies all across the nation, beginning in California and rolling eastward, to its final destination: the big 09.12.09 Taxpayer March on D.C.  Keep up with them on their Tour Blog.

There are media attendance estimates of 1000 people–people on the ground say anywhere from 1500 to 2500 folks were there.  I just know there were a lot!

I’m told there was no local publicity for the rally–the one Mishawaka policeman present happened to be driving by, off-duty, and put himself on the job when he saw all the people at the park.  Not a bad turnout for word-of-mouth and internet advertising.

The buses pulled in to cheering and singing.

The attitude of the people about what’s been going on in Washington was clear.

It was a warm and sunny day for this family affair.

The rally officially started with the Pledge of Allegiance and singing “God Bless America.” There were several speakers, including Deborah Johns of the Our Country Deserves Better PAC,  Amy Kremer, a national Tea Party leader, and Kenneth Gladney, who got beaten up at a town hall protest by pro-health care reform union thugs.  There were live performances by Lloyd Marcus and others.

Here’s the Youtube version of the American Tea Party Anthem Mr. Marcus performed for us.

There was a beautiful tribute to the country’s veterans.  Veterans from every conflict from World War I to the Iraq War were asked to raise their hands and be acknowledged by the crowd.  Our flag was there to honor them.

Fox News’ Griff Jenkins was there, interviewing people in the crowd.  He spoke to Faith on camera briefly.

There were people from all over the Midwest there.  Members spoke to people from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania!  I know that some people came from as far away as New York.

Before the rally, we’d heard that 10,000 had come out to a stop in Lamont, IL.  We didn’t reach that height, but we did well in Michiana!

More pictures here,  here,  here, and here.  Thanks to Bob Moore of the Elkhart Tea Party.

We will have more videos soon.

Local media coverage:  WSBT news,   Health care and government spending addressed at two Labor Day rallies

WSBT video

South Bend Tribune   Mishawaka TEA Party attracts crowd of 1,000