Blogger Interrupted ventured out yesterday and captured some of the teabaggery going on in Cleveland…

I’ve been doing video of right wing nutbags for a long time, but this one was the most disturbing event I’ve ever attended. The rotting racist rabid rump of Republicanism has been reduced to a twitching crowd of paranoids. I got harassed away by a growing mob of jackasses, some of whom are in this video. I tried to get the police to stop them, to no avail. After about a half hour of these thugs chasing me around the event, I just left. I’m sure they’ll show up here in comments to harass some more. But I got some stuff on camera, and now it’s on Youtube, because that’s how I roll.

The Illinois Family Institute (IFI) has released an insidious and homophobic piece of propaganda called “Dare to Stand” which makes NOM’s “Gathering Storm” look like amateur hour. The new video is a “rethinking” of the National Day of Silence on April 17th, a youth-driven event which calls attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Watch “Dare to Stand”… if you dare.

Classified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, IFI purports to “uphold marriage & family, life & liberty in the Land of Lincoln.” From their website…

It is our firm opinion that these claims of discrimination, intolerance and bullying (aimed at people of faith who believe God’s Word that homosexuality is sin) are diverting attention away from GLSEN’s main purpose which has been and continues to be the normalization of homosexuality among impressionable youth.

This 6 minute video, made by a Bible believing church here in Illinois, exposes how our children are being indoctrinated, held captive and forced to accept an unproven and dangerous ideology while Biblical Truth is undermined.

“Dare to Stand” surfaces in the wake of Carl Walker-Hoover’s death, the young boy who recently killed himself after enduring repeated anti-gay bullying.

Many may view the timing as unfortunate, but “Dare to Stand” may present a wonderful opportunity for additional dialogue, shedding more light on homophobia and bullying in schools, while at the same time pushing groups like IFI further out of the mainstream and into Fred Phelps territory.

Sadly, Carl’s birthday would have been on April 17th. Hopefully many will use this day of silence to reflect on this tragedy… and how not to repeat it.

In what many consider the liberal capital of the United States, 400 plus individuals gathered to protest increased taxation and government spending at San Francisco City Hall and outside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office. While the Tea Party movement proclaims to be party agnostic, the anti-Obama sentiment was palpable. If BOTH parties got us into this mess, as they purport, where were the anti-Republican signs and speeches?

The crowd was made up primarily of  white males, definitely skewing older, with white women a distance second. People of color were rare and hard to find. There were the typical memes about the inexorable march toward socialism, the ills of more government and  Obama’s administration taxing us all to the grave. There was also a subtle current of militancy (perhaps it was the Ron Paul supporters mingled in with the crowd) with cries for revolution, particularly among the middle-aged and younger. Those who were older perhaps more interested in holding on to their money than “taking the country back.”

There was also a notable lack of tea, despite the movement’s name. Probably for the best. The original meaning and motives behind the original Boston Tea Party have been lost in today’s events, which have been co-opted by special interest, Fox News and oddly enough, a host of Republicans.  The original Boston Tea Party wasn’t about raising taxes, in fact the Tea Act of 1773 lowered taxes. Instead, colonists objected because they believed it violated their constitutional right to be taxed only by their own elected representatives. It had nothing to do with raising taxes. It had nothing to do with overspending.

But today’s events did present a wonderful opportunity to discuss ideas and solutions that might address our economic plight, but such discussions were woefully absent, constructive debate replaced with whining and complaining. The only solution gently hinted at was to take the country back by way of revolution.

And as for the teabaggery, thankfully there was none. At least not in the literal since. Which is a very good thing indeed.

Additional photos from the protest and a video below…

Previous liveblog from earlier today…

9:15:00 AM: Live blogging will begin at 11am PST at San Francisco city hall of Tea Bag Protest.

10:36:19 AM: Enroute to SF civic center if this bum hamstring doesn’t get me first.

10:49:45 AM: No teabaggers on train. Odd.

10:55:24 AM: Looks like maybe 200 people.

11:00:36 AM: Older mostly white male crowd.

11:06:19 AM: Just said the pledge of allegiance. Are you kidding?

11:06:19 AM: Just said the pledge of allegiance. Are you kidding?

11:07:52 AM: Typical. Government source of ills. Marxist take over.

11:13:20 AM: Chanting “no you can’t.”

11:13:48 AM: Organizer not very well organized.

11:20:35 AM: Partying like it’s 1776.

11:20:55 AM: Booing gavin newsome

11:22:14 AM: Getting ready to march.

11:26:51 AM: Marching to Pelosi’s office

11:38:59 AM: Not a lot of tea.

11:40:23 AM: 350-400 protestors would be my guess.

11:41:41 AM: No one can hear the speaker. Much complaining. People want to “stir” things up.

11:42:24 AM: Again I ask where is the tea?

11:40:23 AM: 350-400 protestors would be my guess.

11:41:41 AM: No one can hear the speaker. Much complaining. People want to “stir” things up.

11:42:24 AM: Again I ask where is the tea?

11:48:00 AM: Just sang the star spangled banner. Looking for people of color.

11:48:45 AM: 1,2,3,4. That’s all I can see.

11:49:42 AM: Lots of singing… Intolerance masked by patriotism.

11:50:55 AM: Now the dumb chants. People starting to leave.

11:51:33 AM: McCain palin campaign person speaking.

11:52:34 AM: 14 year old speaking. Sad.

11:54:26 AM: Save the children!

11:55:05 AM: Speaker spreading the same tax lies.

11:57:43 AM: “US best country in the history of the world” lots of Reagan praise.

11:58:18 AM: Here comes the militant Ron Paul supporter.

11:59:40 AM: Disgusted German socialist now speaking. First generation American. Quoting aynn rand.

12:02:29 PM: Some people seem bored. Not militant enough. Lots of anti-pelosi sentiment.

12:02:29 PM: Some people seem bored. Not militant enough. Lots of anti-pelosi sentiment.

12:03:46 PM: Police state meme… Here we go.

12:05:30 PM: Here we go. It’s god.

12:10:54 PM: Here comes the anti-Obama tirade. Angry lady.

12:13:44 PM: Well. No new ideas . Sean Steele now speaking. “this is how revolutions start”

12:16:01 PM: “out with nancy” chants. okay I’m done. Signing off

12:23:33 PM: Final obsevation. Then will give my twitter friends a break. There was no counter protest. No opposing voices. Would have been interesting.

UPDATE: I have edited out part of my statement regarding the 14-year-old who spoke at the rally due to their age and not to cause any additional distress. Thus is the danger of twittering and trying to communicate gut reactions in a time-sensitive way. What does concern me is when young people are used as pawns to make political points. I am not saying that was the case here, but there is plenty of precedent for it.

8:46:47 AM: Illinois hate group releases anti-gay video attacking “Day of Silence” http://bit.ly/10mlUC

8:47:41 AM: Tea Party paranoia in Cleveland http://bit.ly/PFN8I

9:16:22 AM: Vatican to investigate US Catholic Sisters for not being “homophobic” enough http://tr.im/j3Bi

9:17:38 AM: NY Senator Diaz calls marriage equality an insult to people of faith http://tr.im/j3BI

11:47:07 AM: “Gathering Storm” a turning point in the demise of the anti-gay movement? http://tr.im/jb5N

12:50:27 PM: Catholic Archbishop approves of gays as priests… in the Philippines http://tr.im/jbg1

1:38:37 PM: Recs for #samsexsunday @tlrd @lezzymom @seasonsofpride @greghernandez @edgesanfran @bipolarturtle @pam_spaulding

2:02:43 PM: @mnrmg I love Dolly! Saw her in concert last year…

2:11:51 PM: @mnrmg hope her broadway show 9 to 5 does well.

10:35:17 PM: On no Miss California didn’t! http://tr.im/jcJJ

11:54:39 PM: Earth Day is about saving this pale blue dot we call home… http://tr.im/jujL

2:23:01 PM: Hate crimes bill passes House Judiciary, next stop House floor http://tr.im/jyhk

2:25:54 PM: For binational lesbian couple, deportation delayed indefinitely http://inlookout.com/site/2009/04/23/for-binational-lesbian-couple-deport …

11:26:09 AM: Just added myself to the http://wefollow.com twitter directory under: #gay #lgbt #blogger

4:30:25 PM: Al Gore rails against allegations of profiting from global warming crisis http://inlookout.com/site/?p=2574

4:31:07 PM: Live coverage of San Francisco Tea Party Protest 11am PST http://inlookout.com/site/?p=2319

4:34:26 PM: Sorry.. crazy blog plugin tweeting old posts… 🙁

5:32:43 PM: Obama at U.S. Holocaust Museum: “Intolerance, racism, homophobia… diminishes us all” http://inlookout.com/site/?p=2595

8:08:06 PM: Linguists discharged under DADT could have translated 9/11 warning http://inlookout.com/site/?p=2615

2:00:21 AM: New documentary OUTRAGE exposes hypocrisy of closeted politicians (trailer) http://tinyurl.com/cmlfve

2:06:25 PM: Bea Arthur passes away at 86 http://tr.im/jHTi

12:45:11 AM: Does 34 nails shot into the head qualify as a hate crime? You think?
http://tinyurl.com/cf8tsf

12:19:17 PM: Gay couples begin tying the knot in Iowa today
http://tinyurl.com/d8fdyp

2:25:18 PM: A pandemic by any other name? Swine Flu spreads quickly across globe. http://tr.im/jRbV

7:18:32 AM: Miss California’s the Rock Church links “pedophilia to gay lifestyle” http://tr.im/jUWQ

11:54:37 AM: michael savage

11:55:37 AM: typing the wrong thing in the wrong box. don’t you hate that?!

12:05:24 PM: gay marriage

1:10:59 PM: Maine’s gay marriage bill passes judiciary, moves on to the Senate | Inside, Looking Out #gay http://ow.ly/4hFJ

1:58:38 PM: Hate Crimes bill passes House of Representatives #gay #lgbt http://ow.ly/4rsN

5:10:37 PM: Closing the border with Mexico is such a dumbass question. Is she listening to Michael Savage?

5:18:27 PM: Obama reads articles… nice to have someone who reads too…

6:17:02 PM: Michelle Bachmann vs. Barney Frank on Hate Crimes legislation #FightHateNow #LGBT #GAY http://tr.im/k48G

7:45:38 PM: Rep. Virginia Foxx backtracks, but does not apologize for “hoax” remark #LGBT #GAY http://tr.im/k4mE

9:52:19 AM: Maine Senate votes for gay marriage #LGBT #GAY http://ow.ly/4yZm

2:04:42 PM: It’s official. Carrie Prejean is the new Anita Bryant. #LGBT #GAY http://ow.ly/4Bfc

3:16:07 PM: Congressman Boehner puts out slick hit piece on Obama http://ow.ly/4BQT

3:39:06 PM: Amazing new marriage equality video from Courage Campaign #GAY #LGBT http://ow.ly/4C2D

7:24:33 PM: Judy Shepard responds to Virginia Foxx’s comment on Rachel Maddow #GAY #LGBT http://ow.ly/4Dob

8:56:06 PM: is it me or is the twitterverse quiet tonight… is everyone watching Ugly Betty but me?

10:23:15 AM: NOM Executive Director Brian Brown gets frustrated defending new ad #GAY #LGBT http://ow.ly/4IFf

11:19:11 AM: Happy Friday! @davidbadash @jefframone @kmarysmith @2m4m @couragecampaign @imeq @out4immigration @lgbttweets @brappy #FollowFriday

3:40:42 PM: Virginia Foxx attempts apology number two for hoax comment… and fails #LGBT #GAY http://ow.ly/4Lhk

5:35:53 PM: Kentucky high school Principal refuses gay students access to restroom during class #GAY #LGBT http://ow.ly/4LWB

7:31:39 PM: Maggie Gallagher defends new NOM ad on Larry King tonight #GAY #LGBT http://ow.ly/4MAg

9:26:34 AM: Heading out to a Jackie Speier townhall here in SF.. Wish me luck that I get a question on UAFA in…

6:12:37 PM: Parody of NOM’s “No Offense” ad with Carrie Prejean goes for the JUGular! #GAY #LGBT http://ow.ly/4SrC

9:39:40 PM: CNN Reports on new film Outrage which outs closeted gay politicians #GAY #LGBT http://ow.ly/4Tf7