Anti-tax rally tonight at Capitol; traffic snarl likely

Thousands are expected to converge on the state Capitol on Wednesday evening for the Atlanta Tea Party protest of taxes and federal spending that’s part of a series of such rallies around the country.

Organizers say the Atlanta event could be among the biggest, in part because of the presence of conservative talk show host Sean Hannity, who will broadcast live from the Georgia Capitol from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

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John Spink / jspink@ajc.com

Randall Rapier with Fuse AV descends from a tower Wednesday while preparing the stage for the anti-tax rally at the Capitol.

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Hannity, who has promoted the event on his TV and radio shows, will be joined by former U.S. Rep. Dick Armey (R-Texas), a favorite of the limited-government, low-tax organizations sponsoring the events, as well as Georgia politicians.

Pre-rally events were scheduled at noon in some metro cities including Roswell, Marietta, Peachtree City and Newnan, according to www.taxdayteaparty.com, with rallies also planned in Albany, Savannah and Rome.

The downtown Atlanta Tea Party rally’s starting time coincides with a Braves game at nearby Turner Field, and authorities warn of a traffic crunch.

“The Tea Party at the Capitol combined with Braves traffic could possibly create a traffic nightmare,” said Paul Marshall, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

Marshall advises using MARTA if going to either event, and he urged Braves fans traveling by car to take the Fulton Street exit off the Downtown Connector to avoid the area surrounding the Capitol, where he said the Hannity event “could draw thousands.”

“The worst delays will probably be between 5 and 7 p.m. and immediately after the events conclude at approximately 11 p.m., but we’re urging folks to expect heavy traffic near the venues for the duration,” Marshall said.

The Tea Party name is a reference to the tax protests prior to the American Revolution. Tea is also an acronym for Taxed Enough Already.