Tea Party protest held in Houlton

    HOULTON, Maine — Freedom of speech was out in force Thursday as activists in Houlton voiced their frustration with federal spending and taxation by holding an old-fashioned tea party rally.
Jim Cyr, coordinator for the Aroostook County Tea Parties, said the focus of the grass roots gathering was to bring awareness to individuals
“With Thursday being tax day, there are many who feel that the system is broken,” Cyr said. “The main goal of what we are trying to do today is to let people know that they still have a voice and they don’t need to feel like there is something they cannot do. If people come together, we can change the system … as broken as it is.”
Houlton’s rally — held in front of the George Washington statue in Market Square — was one of many held across the state. Additional rallies were held in Augusta (Capital Park); Portland (Monument Square); Bangor (Federal Building); Presque Isle (downtown); Caribou (across from City Hall); and Madawaska (Main Street).
Attendees in Houlton held up signs ranging from “We are bankrupting our children,” “Taxed enough already,” and “Drunken sailors don’t spend like this.”
Cyr added people from every background and political party were participating in the rallies held in Aroostook County. Getting supporters to show up has never been a problem, he added.
“We truly are a grass roots group,” Cyr said. “There is no leader. No specific goal. And no affiliation with any one political party over another. We just want to bring awareness and give people a chance to have their voices heard.”