The Tea Party protests are a series of nationally coordinated protests across the United States in 2009. The events are in protest of big government, President Barack Obama, the federal budget and, more specifically, the stimulus package, which the protesters argue are wasteful government spending and unnecessary government growth. They oppose the increase in the national debt as well. The protesters also objected to possible future tax increases. Protests have been held on April 15, 2009 to coincide with the annual U.S. deadline for submitting tax returns, known as Tax Day, over the weekend of July 4, 2009 to coincide with Independence Day, and on September 12, 2009.

The name "Tea Party" is a reference to the Boston Tea Party, and the protests have sought to evoke images, slogans, and themes from the American Revolution. The letters T, E, and A have been used by protesters to form the backronym "Taxed Enough Already.

Protesters and conservative commentators promoted Tax Day events on blogs, Twitter, and Facebook. Reaction to the tea parties included counter-protests expressing support for the Obama administration, and dismissive or mocking media coverage of both the events and its promoters, including the Fox News Channel.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia