Tea Party” Rally in Champaign Draws a Crowd to West Side Park

A nationwide day of protests linked to the federal tax deadline included a 400-person rally in Champaign.

The gathering was one of hundreds of so-called "tea party" rallies meant to vent about what participants call excessive taxation. But organizer Kevin Waite says the target of the protest went beyond economic worries.

"Certainly there is some anger, and a lot of people here are not only here for the financial issues but peripheral issues as well, because we feel that as time progresses our liberties are being diminished," Waite said.

Becky Brouillard of Rantoul says she's never taken part in political activities, but she says recent stories of the bailout and stimulus bills sparked her anger - but she says that anger is directed at members of both major parties.

"I know this has been spun as being about Obama and different things, that's not it," Brouillard said. "I think that's it's just a general unrest about where the federal government's going."

Randy Stufflebeam called on participants to engage in a new revolution, though not an armed revolution - yet. The 2006 Constitution Party candidate for Illinois governor was the keynote speaker.