BLOOMINGTON - Several hundred people angry about government spending crowded the west lawn of the McLean County Museum of History on Wednesday and sent a message to Washington, D.C. - literally. | GOP hopes to build momentum behind 'tea parties' | Photo gallery | Video

Organizer Diane Benjamin of Ellsworth dialed the main number to the White House and held up her cell phone.

"Stop spending now!" the crowd shouted in unison.

The Bloomington protest was one of many scheduled across the nation as part of the National Tax Day Tea Party movement. Organizers said the parties were designed to echo the Boston Tea Party, an anti-tax protest on the eve of the American Revolution.

"Stop borrowing money and for Pete's sake if the banks want to give the money back, take it," Benjamin said during the rally. "We are just going to face higher inflation and more taxation in future years."

Tens of thousands of protesters staged "tea parties" around the country Wednesday to tap into the collective angst stirred up by a bad economy, government spending and bailouts.

The rallies in general were directed at President Barack Obama's new administration on a symbolic day: the deadline to file income taxes. Protesters even threw what appeared to be a box of tea bags toward the White House, causing a brief lockdown at the compound.

Benjamin called the Bloomington event very positive and peaceful.

"This is not a partisan event, this is not a Republican event, this is a people event," she said. "We are here to take the country back."

Religion played a big part in the protest as speakers argued the nation is losing its moral grounding.

"It's freedom of religion, not freedom from religion," Benjamin said to the cheers of the crowd.

Bob Johnston of Normal encouraged protesters to get involved in the country's political process at a grass-roots level by getting involved in their churches and local boards.

"This crisis is an economic crisis and it is a cultural crisis," Johnston said. "It is time to change."

Benjamin and other speakers encouraged the crowd to keep the movement going. Several in the crowd shouted back, saying they should turn their protest into a march on Washington.

Copies of the U.S. Constitution were circulated among the crowd for signatures. They will be sent to the area's representatives in Washington.

"They took an oath to defend the Constitution, it's about time they read what it says," Benjamin said.

Eric Andrews of Normal and his son, Travis, attended the lunchtime protest because they believe politicians are not listening.

"Government has become out of touch with the average citizen," Andrews said. "I'm not a Republican and I'm not a Democrat. I'm more of an independent voter, and 90 percent of Congress has disappointed me or my expectations."

He added the domination of one party sets up a situation in which freedoms can be reduced with a few votes and little discussion.

"The stimulus bill was voted on so quickly and that was such an important bill," Andrews said, referring to the $787 billion economic stimulus package passed in February.

The tea parties were promoted by FreedomWorks, a conservative nonprofit advocacy group based in Washington and led by former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas, who is now a lobbyist.

Organizers said the movement developed organically through online social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter and through exposure on Fox News.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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