Connecticut Citizens Join Protest in Washington
MARCH INSERT
New London Day
Jeanne Amy
Boston University Washington News Service
9/12/09
A few graphs to be added to Norwich protest story
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of people traveled from Connecticut to Washington to participate in the march on Saturday. Tanya Bachand (cq), the state tea party coordinator who carried the Connecticut flag in the march, said between 750 and 1,000 people came with her group .
“I’m personally here because I think the government is out of control, the spending is out of control,” Bachand said. “We’re not mobsters, not nut balls and freaks, we’re just ordinary people.”
Bachand, a 35-year-old mother from Wallingford, traveled with her 9-year-old son, Chris.
“I’m here because I think my future will be taken away by Obama,” Chris said. He said it was his first trip to Washington and he would like to see the White House, the Museum of Natural History and the Washington Monument.
Throngs of people marched down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol repeating the chant, “Can you hear us now?”
Stanley Emond (cq) and his wife drove from Cheshire to Washington to celebrate their wedding anniversary by participating in the march.
Emond, 50, said he hopes the march will help “change everybody in government and they will get back to listening to what the people want.”
Bea Keeney (cq), a 72-year-old business owner in East Lyme, said she hoped that marching in Washington will make the government listen. Keeney said she has participated in other protests in Connecticut.
Keeney traveled with two friends who were eager to express how disgruntled they were with “Obamacare,” but not eager to give out their names. All three senior citizens said they believed they would be hurt by the proposed health care reform.
