Pittsfield Tea Party - crashed

[theGringo]

The Pittsfield event was small, as most events in Western Mass are. 100 people? 150? But it was a bigger crowd than I saw at the various anti-war rallies and sundry left-wing events held in the same spot over the years. I got there just before 4pm and stayed until the end, 6pm. I met one of my former students and her family, and a retired second grade teacher I know whom I never suspected was a ... conservative Republican. We commisserated about how hard it is to be ... that way ... in the schools.

The Pittsfield local access TV guy was there with a handheld camcorder. Not a big presence. No one I spoke to had seen any sign of the Berkshire Eagle. If a reporter was there, he was apparently incognito.

About 5:45 a contingent of ... youth ... began to congregate on the green, in out midst. A dozen or more ... youth ... in typical hip-hop attire, slouched and surly. One had a hand-lettered "Obama" sign. They shouted a bit. Hurled some very nasty obscenities, in the presence of children, and generally constituted a nuisance. I wondered if someone would call the cops. It was, after all, our rally.

Right at 6 one of the organizers said that they were breaking up, and I went to my car. As I drove away I saw that 4 Pittsfield PD cruisers had arrived, and officers seemed to be speaking to the ... youths.

I don't know what came of it. But I do know that if a dozen or more counterprotesters invaded an anti-war protest, it would be written up on Page One of the Eagle as a brazen attempt at intimidation of peaceful protesters, exercising their First Amendment rights.

(Big Sigh)

 

[MassBites]

Gringo,

Don't feel too bad about the turn out. Folks should take into consideration that a number of these tea-parties took place across the state. Lowell, Worcester, Pittsfield, Cape Cod and two in Boston. There my have been more and I'm not aware of them.

If you were to add up the number of participants statewide, I think it would total a very respectable amount of Massachusetts residents, and those are the ones who actually participated. I would be hard to guess the number of people who wanted to be there but couldn't be, and those who quietly sympathize but aren't the active protester type.

Don't for a moment think that the collective anger of We The People didn't go unnoticed today by the political hacks. Trust me, they noticed, and so did the rest of America.

Good on you for being one of the few, the proud, the radicalized right wing extremists, who set out to make your voice heard today in Pittsfield.

 

[theGringo]

Gringo,

Don't feel too bad about the turn out. Folks should take into consideration that a number of these tea-parties took place across the state. Lowell, Worcester, Pittsfield, Cape Cod and two in Boston. There my have been more and I'm not aware of them.

If you were to add up the number of participants statewide, I think it would total a very respectable amount of Massachusetts residents, and those are the ones who actually participated. I would be hard to guess the number of people who wanted to be there but couldn't be, and those who quietly sympathize but aren't the active protester type.

Don't for a moment think that the collective anger of We The People didn't go unnoticed today by the political hacks. Trust me, they noticed, and so did the rest of America.

Good on you for being one of the few, the proud, the radicalized right wing extremists, who set out to make your voice heard today in Pittsfield.

I'd like to see what 300 would look like on that little traffic island. Maybe next time, at the RKBA Open Carry Second Amendment Rally. I've already suggested to the event organizers that they plan for this next.

Maybe a Pittsfield LEO can shed some light on the disposition of the ... youth ... who harassed and intimidated us peaceful protesters. I know there's at least one here.

 

[gene]

They know it's only the beginning regardless of the turnout today and it will continue to grow. Multiple by 100 or 1000 the number that were able to make it!

 

[tung tide]

Thanks for attending, Gringo. Perhaps that event was small and got a little buggered, but on the whole, tea parties were a success. Your head has been counted

 

[MassMark]

Gringo! Where were you??? I was looking all over the place for you. Perhaps it's been so long since we've met that I forget what you look like? I was in the North face windbreaker and the Boston Red Sox shirt. The official count by the way was 215 - so not too bad.

I was also involved in the fray with the misguided youth and was on that side of Park Square when they showed up and when PPD broke everything up. Perhaps I can shed some light.

At about 5:40, a group of kids in their late teens early 20's mysteriously showed up on Park Square. They were accompanied by an adult white male with a video camera. Initially, they were standing toward the middle of the southern lawn of the square - occasionally shouting: "Obama", but otherwise peaceful. I actually spoke to one of them briefly after he said we were all "racists". I walked over to him and said: "Listen, this is not about race - no one here is screaming anything about Obama - in fact, no one here is screaming at all". he replied: "Obama ain't goin nowhere - he's our President, so you have to deal". I then asked him: "So, I understand you support President Obama - in fact, I was happy that an African American made it to the White House - I am just not happy it's him". He replied: "Maan, you're just pissed cause your boy lost". I replied: "I'm not pissed at all - again, this isn't about race, my boy didn't even come close. If I'm pissed about anything, it's that our country is headed for a bad turn - we're going down the road to socialism. Can I ask you a question? Who is the Vice President of The United States?" No reply. "Can I ask you where President Obama is from?" "Hawaii", the young man replied. "Fair enough" I said, "but can you tell me where he was living when he became President?" Silence. "Can you tell me what he did for a living before he became President?" "He was a Congressmen", the young man replied. "Close, but he was a Senator from Illinois", I said. My last question was this: "Can you name one piece of legislation introduced by President Obama - either as a Junior Senator, or now sitting President?" He looked toward the sky and said: "Maaan, what kind of fool do you take me for?" I said, " I don't take you for a fool at all, I simply asked you a question that you cannot answer. Clearly, you voted for Obama because of his skin color and not because of his policies or plan for America - so who's the racist here?" He stared off into the sky and immediately after, his "Obama!" shouting cohort summoned him to the middle of Park Square.

In the middle of the youths was the camera man. I was too far away to hear what he was talking to them about, but it looked like a football huddle. It appeared he was giving them instructions. What followed confirmed that thought. They all spread out and began to push in between Tea Party goers and hold their signs in front of others and began screaming "Obama!" repeatedly, the leader of the pack even darting out into the street and holding his sign in front of cars passing by. We remained largely silent, but there were a few who were responding to the youths. The stopping point for me, was when three of them were taunting an African American woman who was protesting with us. They were standing behind her when one shouted: "Yo - you're no nigga - you're a ****** for the man". One Tea Party goer had enough and began demanding the counter-protesters to "back the f*** off". I headed over and put myself between this woman and another with a small child. The next thing I knew, one of the youths made a move toward the man who told him to back off and it was on. Shirts came off and a lot of posturing and screaming was going on between the two. The guy I was talking to earlier, was standing at the back of the pack shouting obscenities. Our eyes met briefly, and I just shook my head at him. He looked away and continued to shout: "Get him!". By now, it was nearly 6pm and people started to break things up. One of the Tea party goers calmed the frustrated protester, people began to disperse, (except the youths) and then Pittsfield Police came en masse. The chief complaints of the youths, was that we were all racists and were screaming about them being on welfare. Not true. Then they said we tried to keep them from voicing themselves. Not true. Then it was learned that the "cameraman" was a member of Acorn - he magically drifted away....

On my way back to my car, I crossed paths under the Crowne Plaza with 3 of the youths from Park Square. They were still screaming "Obama!" and followed me, (not seemingly intentionally), as I made my way to my car. One of them said something to me as I exited the parking garage and even though I was keeping them in my peripheral, I turned fully as I exited and a kid in his 20's, black hoodie, blue shorts, said something to the effect of "what the f*** you lookin at", as he grabbed his crotch and put his hand up to the brim of his Yankees hat, (f***ing Yankees fans). I replied: "Look, I'm heading home - it's over man. Yesterday would have been a really good day to f*** with me - I was in a great mood and would have let it slide - today is not the f***ing day man - go home for dinner". His buddy put his hand across his chest and said: "Let's go"....

I got in my car, drove home listening to some moe, smoking a cigarette and feeling the wind on my face as I leaned slightly out the window....The cheeseburgers off the grill were f***ing excellent....


EDIT: By the way, I have several pictures of this event on my phone, but am on dial-up. Will download them here tomorrow from work...

 

[JRyan]

acorn = no honor.

 

[heron163]

snip snip.

most excellent report! Thanks!

 

[economist]

I was also involved in the fray with the misguided youth and was on that side of park Square when they showed up and when PPD broke everything up. Perhaps I can shed some light. ...

Nice post Mark. Thanks for the details. The one key thing these crotch-grabbers fail to grasp is that they are destined for disappointment. Either they lose politically, or they win, and realize that they have destroyed a country built by better men. Either way, they can not have what they want because they don't know that creating wealth, both philosophical and material, is a predicate to consumption of the material kind.

Or, maybe they just like being little thugs. That and grabbing their crotches.

 

[shemdogg]

didnt kno there were thugs in pittsfield

 

[Raoul Duke]

Nice post Mark. Thanks for the details. The one key thing these crotch-grabbers fail to grasp is that they are destined for disappointment. Either they lose politically, or they win, and realize that they have destroyed a country built by better men. Either way, they can not have what they want because they don't know that creating wealth, both philosophical and material, is a predicate to consumption of the material kind.

Or, maybe they just like being little thugs. That and grabbing their crotches.

All that AND they don't know what predicate means.

 

[tele_mark]

The key here is the video camera -- someone in the Tea Party crowd should've had one and filmed that whole thing. The O-Bots behavior could be on YouTube right now, and the link being propagated across web boards across the world.

 

[packingungal]

This is not just about MA - this is about the everywhere!! People turned out all over the nation - a nation-wide organized event. The ball is rolling...

This is not about one particular protest over one particular situation, it is more about people organizing and making statements, taking a stand, taking time out of their lives, to express what they like/don't like.

 

[namedpipes]

. . . or they win, and realize that they have destroyed a country built by better men. . . . Or, maybe they just like being little thugs. That and grabbing their crotches.

They will come to no such realization.

Look to the towns that were once nice places like Dorchester. The people that made it a hellhole are proud of what it has become. Some are just trapped and some of them even know it, but I don't think it is the majority.

I once asked one of the crotch grabbers why he had his hand in his pants, was he playing with the twins or something. The look on his face - I wish I'd had a camera.

I didn't know there were thugs in pittsfield.

There weren't. They were imported for the day with our stimulus dollars by Acorn.

OK, I don't know that, but I wouldn't be surprised, either.

 

[Fixxah]

Mark, I can't imagine keeping cool under those circumstances. You are definately one of the best reps and I for one am glad you are not on the other side. Thanks for the report.

 

[lord1234]

MassMark have you considered running for public office?

 

[MassMark]

As promised, here's some pictures from the event. Sorry for the image quality - it's my Nokia phone. I really need to get a digital SLR or even a decent point and shoot one day...I almost forgot the most puzzling piece to this story. As the police tried to calm the situation, one of the counter-protesters was again screaming to a PPD officer that we were all racists. He pointed to one of the signs that had a pitcher of tea, next to a pitcher of Kool-Aid and said: "See? Look at that! That's Kool-Aid man! That's about us man!".... I interjected briefly that the Kool-Aid symbolized Jim Jones, but it was lost on everyone - I threw in the towel at that point. I did not realize Kool-Aid had become a cultural symbol....

 

[jzrawlins]

Mark, you need to write up that first post and send it to a bunch of papers.

I envy your ability to put your observations into words so well.

 

[MetalgodZ]

Mark, nice writeup. Passed it along to a couple of people not on the board.

This is not just about MA - this is about the everywhere!! People turned out all over the nation - a nation-wide organized event. The ball is rolling...

This is not about one particular protest over one particular situation, it is more about people organizing and making statements, taking a stand, taking time out of their lives, to express what they like/don't like.

Quite right.

Of course, it just ends up with us MA people being the loudest on this board because of the crap that we deal with at a state level, and the NH people joining in because a good number of them have to work in MA to make ends meet.

Did you get out to one in Florida, or did you get an idea of what size crowds were out down there?

 

[bob68]

i had planned to attend one of the tea parties out here in western ma but had my plans go awry. yesterday was my chemo day and i ended up suffering from side affects for the first time since i started it in dec. i was upset that this happened on a day that i planned to so my part and join the protest.

 

[MassMark]

i had planned to attend one of the tea parties out here in western ma but had my plans go awry. yesterday was my chemo day and i ended up suffering from side affects for the first time since i started it in dec. i was upset that this happened on a day that i planned to so my part and join the protest.

Bob - look out for yourself - there will be more when you are healthy. I think this is only the beginning....Take care and get well!

By the way, I have to put a shout-out and +1 to the Pittsfield Police Department. The officers who responded were professional beyond words and very fair to everyone involved....

 

[theGringo]

Thanks for that update Mark. I missed all the good stuff, again. I left when an organizer said we were breaking up ... I guess the trouble was brewing then, and he didn't want to see a riot break out. I heard, and I obeyed.

In an earlier time, I'd have gone to where the stench of trouble came from. Today, I'm not so ready to walk into handcuffs as I once was ... but that pendulum is swinging back. I've been in the clink before. Ain't no thang.

Now, I'm very sorry that I didn't satisfy my curiosity by moving toward the issue.

I think I must have seen you among the "counter protesters". I wondered who that crazy white bastard was. I was on the sunny side of the circle, facing West Street.

Next time ... Rumble. Maybe.

 

[MassMark]

Next time ... Rumble. Maybe.

Now THAT ages us both! I haven't been in a "rumble" since the Salem vs West Branch game when I was in high school...

I think my rumble days are behind me, but then again - if there comes a time to throw down - you gotta throw down. I don't think it would have gone there - it was a lot of posturing. Quite frankly, I think my reaction after the fact to the kids trailing behind me in the parking deck scared the shit out of them. I do not however think that violence was out of the question had the counter-protesters had a better sense of time - they were a wee bit late....Just glad it didn't go there...

 

[SteelShooter]

I do not however think that violence was out of the question had the counter-protesters had a better sense of time - they were a wee bit late....Just glad it didn't go there...

And I would bet, although the news didn't cover any of the tea parties, the RUMBLE IN MASSACHUSETTS, would have been aired on every major news network. It would have been a talking point on the hill and our SecHomDef would have been screaming "See terrorists, I told you so". So great job to everyone for keeping cool.

 

[WillyJP]

Good post. I suspect ACORN will be instigating many more such confrontations in the future. They are nothing more than two bit hoods donning the socialist cloak of their newest idol. Unlike in years past they are now receiving your tax dollars to fund this nonsense under the guise of "community action" groups. Remember it, mark it well, and make sure you vote the turd career politicians that allowed this out of office when the time comes.

 

[OnTheRoad]

http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERsa.htm

In 1921 Adolf Hitler formed his own private army called Sturm Abteilung (Storm Section). The SA (also known as stormtroopers or brownshirts) were instructed to disrupt the meetings of political opponents and to protect Hitler from revenge attacks. Captain Ernst Roehm of the Bavarian Army played an important role in recruiting these men, and became the SA's first leader.

 

[calsdad]

Now that we know what we are up against - I hope people realize that from here on in it's only going to get worse.

Acorn is obviously intentionally trying to stir the pot. People should do stuff like video tape any future protests and put the stuff on YouTube. The court of public opinion is strong and people need to see what these jackasses are trying to do.

 

[MassMark]

Now that we know what we are up against - I hope people realize that from here on in it's only going to get worse.

Acorn is obviously intentionally trying to stir the pot. People should do stuff like video tape any future protests and put the stuff on YouTube. The court of public opinion is strong and people need to see what these jackasses are trying to do.

Had I not been so impromptu about the whole thing, (didn't even make a sign - had to borrow one), I would have brought my video recorder, or at least my F5...The camera phone just didn't cut it, but at least when things got heated I didn't have to worry about it - just stuck it in my pocket and went in...Perhaps one of the newer compact Sony camcorders would be a good investment?

 

[silvereye21]

all i hear on the news and in person is how were all racist. its seriously pissing me off. anything we do will always just be reported "racists at it again". i agree with massmark when he said to the misguided youth "who's the racist?" so f***ing true. kinda off topic but is anyone from berkshire county going to oathkeepers? I dont really know anyone who gives a rats ass about the constitution to go with.

 

[theGringo]

We remained largely silent, but there were a few who were responding to the youths. The stopping point for me, was when three of them were taunting an African American woman who was protesting with us. They were standing behind her when one shouted: "Yo - you're no nigga - you're a ****** for the man". One Tea Party goer had enough and began demanding the counter-protesters to "back the f*** off". I headed over and put myself between this woman and another with a small child.

The event organizers would like to locate this woman.