violent antitax protest/riot in US

[Declan McCullagh]

This is amazing. If anything like this was even attempted in DC,
we'd have dozens of federal agencies, and perhaps armed troops,
converging on the U.S. Capitol.

-Declan


On Sat, Jul 14, 2001 at 11:17:27AM -0700, David Honig wrote:
> Friday July 13 6:33 AM ET 
> 
>   Anti-Tax Protests at Tenn. Capitol
> 
>   By KARIN MILLER, Associated Press Writer 
> 
>   NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Protesters hurled rocks through Capitol
>   windows, chanted ``no new tax!'' and banged on the locked doors of
>   the Senate chamber where Tennessee lawmakers were debating the
>   creation of a state income tax.
> 
>   The tax plan had died before the protesters arrived Thursday, but when
>   word spread that lawmakers had passed a no-tax budget, cheers went
>   up among the hundreds of protesters.
> 
>   ``The people are passionate when they say, 'no income tax','' said
>   Steve Gill, a Nashville radio talk show host who had called on tax
>   opponents to swarm the Capitol.
> 
>   Anti-tax protests have been frequent the past three years as lawmakers
>   considered implementing a state income tax, but the protests had
>   always been peaceful - until Thursday.
> 
>   Within hours of hearing that the Legislature was considering a
>   last-minute income tax plan, protesters swarmed into the area, honking
>   car horns, waving signs reading ``Tax Revolt!'' and bringing traffic
>   outside the Capitol to a standstill.
> 
>   The rock-throwers busted several windows, including one in the
>   governor's office. State troopers escorted lawmakers in the halls and
>   locked the doors to the Capitol. One state employee trying to lock a
>   side door was injured as the weight of the crowd pushed against him.
> 
>   No arrests were made and no other injuries were reported.
> 
>   ``I appreciate the right of all Americans to free speech and peaceful
>   protest. I do not, however, approve of those who advocate violence
>   and I regret that occurred at the Capitol,'' Gov. Don Sundquist said in
>   a statement.
> 
>   Sundquist has said he would veto any budget that didn't include a new
>   revenue plan.
> 
>   The budget the Legislature passed doesn't include the 3.5 percent
>   income tax lawmakers had discussed. It instead cuts $339 million from
>   the governor's $19.9 billion spending plan, requires state agencies to
>   save an additional $100 million, and uses $560 million in tobacco
>   settlement money - four years worth - to balance the budget.
> 
>   Sundquist wouldn't say if he would sign it.
> 
>   Tennessee is one of nine states without a broad-based income tax, but
>   it has one of the highest sales tax rates at 6 percent, with local
>   governments adding up to 2.75 percent.
> 
>   Sen. Bob Rochelle, a Democratic proponent of a state income tax, had
>   argued that the sales tax could be reduced if an income tax was
>   implemented. ``The day will come when we won't mistreat our citizens
>   any more with that tax,'' he said.
> 
>   Republican Sen. David Fowler, an opponent of the income tax, said
>   negotiations had already broken down by the time most of the
>   protesters arrived.
> 
>   One proposal discussed would have put plans for an income tax to a
>   statewide vote. Fowler said the protest may have ``effectively killed''
>   that as an option.
> 
>   ``I don't know if they knew that's what they were doing, but that's what
>   they were doing,'' Fowler said.
> 
> http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/ap/20010713/us/tennessee_capitol_protest_8.html