Thousands of protestors converged on the Capitol Wednesday to protest the Obama administration and state Democrats in power.
The rally, intended by event organizers to evoke the spirit of the Boston Tea Party, was on April 15 to coincide with the day when many Americans file their taxes.
""This is an uprising, a groundswell of enthusiasm from the people,"" said Vicki McKenna, a conservative Milwaukee talk show host who spoke at the event.
Other speakers included U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., 24 year-old La Crosse Mayor Matt Harter and Pastor David King of Milwaukee.
""I came today to raise hell,"" King said, who operates the group Milwaukee God Squad. ""It's time to take out the garbage.""
King also said Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle was ""smoking crack"" when he prepared the proposed state budget.
Mark Block, state director of the group Americans for Prosperity-Wisconsin that helped to organize the rally, said the event exceeded expectations in the amount of protestors.
Capitol police did not provide an estimate for the crowd size and Department of Administration official Emily Winecke said she could not give an estimate of the crowd, with event organizers estimating it was around 5,000.
Numerous protestors held up signs mocking Doyle and Obama, with one sign stating ""Obama is the Anti-Christ.""
The rally included a spectrum of residents, including some supporters of U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-TX, motorcycle bikers and some dressed in Revolutionary War costumes.
UW-Madison senior Michael Seaman said he attended the rally because government spending is out of control.
""People here today are very fired up, this is not something that is going to fall by the wayside,"" he said.
Milwaukee resident Shawn Larkin, 26, said he drove to Madison for the event because he was upset with the passage of the federal stimulus bill and bailouts for large companies.
A small group of counter-protestors dressed in yachting clothes and formal attire were also present, with many members from the liberal-leaning group One Wisconsin Now holding signs like ""Don't tax my Boss's Yacht.""
Scot Ross, executive director of OWN, said the rally was funded by conservative millionaires and popularized by Fox News. FreedomWorks, a conservative interest group out of Washington D.C., was promoting the tea party events around the country, according to their website.
""This is corporate America trying to prevent paying its fair share of taxes,"" Ross said. ""The answer is not more tax cuts for the top one percent.""
