Nearly 10,000 North Carolinians gathered at 20 Tax Day Tea Party rallies across the state on Thursday. While the turnout was lower than the 17,000 who attended a year ago, the 2010 protests focused more on direct action.

The current round of demonstrations kicked off April 10 in Kill Devil Hills and Rocky Mount, attracting an estimated 500 and 400 protesters, respectively. Thursday’s turnout ranged from a handful of participants in Rockingham to nearly 2,000 in Greensboro. The events brought together people backing spending restraint, lower taxes, transparency in government, and enhanced accountability from public officials.

Last year’s events provided an outlet for people expressing exasperation at corporate bailouts, rising debt, and surging unemployment. This year, the sluggish recovery, the recently passed federal health care bill, the projected $1.6 trillion federal budget deficit, and the prospect of another billion dollars in red ink at the state level provided specific targets for attendees to aim their frustrations.

Local activists, political candidates, and public policy experts (including representatives from the John Locke Foundation, publisher of Carolina Journal) spoke at the events.

Speakers highlighted the upcoming primary and general elections, asking participants to find candidates who support an agenda more consistent with America’s founding principles of individual rights, constitutional government, and free markets. Policy and advocacy groups passed out literature, sponsoring organizations sold merchandise and signed up new voters, political hopefuls and sitting officeholders made stump speeches, and at several locations, local talk radio hosts broadcast live.

Carolina Journal Associate Editor Anthony Greco filed this report from Newton, where approximately 300 attended, and Shelby, where roughly 500 participated:

John Locke Foundation President John Hood delivered this address at Winston-Salem (700 people):Here’s JLF Vice President for Research Roy Cordato in Goldsboro (200 people):

The largest turnout, perhaps exceeding 2,000, was in Greensboro:


CJ Photo by David N. Bass

Some 1,200 gathered in Charlotte:

CJ Photo by David N. Bass

More than 1,000 met at the Capitol Grounds in Raleigh:


CJ Photo by Jon Ham

Roughly 200 gathered in Morganton:


CJ Photo by Becki Gray

And another 200 in Waynesville:


CJ Photo by Becki Gray

Roughly 300 rallied in Southern Pines:


CJ Photo by Jon Sanders

At least 400 gathered in New Bern …


CJ Photo by Sara Burrows

… including some youthful counterprotesters:


CJ Photo by Sara Burrows

Another 1,000 or so got together in Wilmington.

Several hundred more made their way to the rally in Morehead City, even though the venue had to be changed at the last minute from a K Mart shopping center to the Newport Flea Mall. Last year’s Tea Party was held at the K Mart Plaza, and organizers received permission from the owners of the center to hold this week’s protest there as well. But attorneys for Sears Holding, owners of K Mart stores, issued organizers of the rally a cease and desist order, forcing them to move.

Additional Tea Party rallies are planned April 17 in Jacksonville, April 18 in Newton Grove, and April 24 in West Jefferson and Columbus.