Seal Beach got in on the nationwide tax protest "Tea Party" on Wednesday, April 15. Braving a strong and cold wind, about 500 people, according to Seal Beach Police spokesperson John Scott, joined in the event. Other media outlets have put the number of protesters at 1,000, but your Editors are inclined to agree with the PD on about 500.

The protest began on the steps of the Seal Beach City Hall with a few brief political speeches. Next, the group marched down 8th street to the pier for more noise and speeches. The event concluded with a loosely organized walk down Main Street.

Participants included senior citizens in wheel chairs, families, young children and even some barking dogs got in on the act. The entire event lasted about one hour. Many patriotic displays were visible, including American flags and shirts emblazoned with the US Constitution and Uncle Sam. Many protestors carried tax protest signs and there was plenty of honking support from passing cars.

The honking cars, noisy protestors, and strong winds made it difficult to hear the speeches or to know who was speaking. The thrust of the speeches seemed to be related to the November 2010 elections. One speaker is running for Superintendent of Public Instruction in 2010. There were also some shouts about recalling Jim Silva and other political slogans.

The Seal Beach Police Department reported that there were no incidents. Even though the protestors spilled into the street in front of City Hall, the police did not block off the streets and confined their presence to "monitoring the situation".