Tea party group says city favors Occupy Richmond protesters

[pintobean]

The Richmond Tea Party is lashing out at Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones for what it sees as the city's preferential treatment of the Occupy Richmond protesters encamped at Kanawha Plaza.

The tea party group is sending Jones an invoice for the charges incurred for the Tax Day rallies it has held at the plaza the past three years, arguing that the Occupy Wall Street offshoot group squatting there has been using the park illegally and free of charge since Oct. 15.

"The tea party keeps being compared to the occupiers. Well, in the way we're treated, there's no comparison. It's like a slap in the face," said Richmond Tea Party spokeswoman Colleen Owens.

Owens said her group has shelled out about $10,000 for the three rallies held there, including a rental fee for use of the park, various permits and other expenses. She added that the rallies were scheduled with the city months in advance and that the group held fundraisers to cover the required costs, which included police presence and portable toilets.

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/oct/27/richmond-tea-party-says-city-gives-occupy-richmond-ar-1412408/

[geardaddy]

1. Sucks to be them.

[kestrel91316]

2. Wahhhhh, teabaggers probably demanded high security to protect them from

the mean leftie terraists.

[butterfly77]

3. The teabaggers ....

had RALLIES. OWS has PROTESTS. Got that TEABAGGERS!