In a demonstration of the overwhelming support of mainstream America for conservative principles, Glenn Beck's 'Restoring Honor' rally at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. is drawing 'hundreds of thousands,' according to McClatchy Newspapers.
Early reports indicate that so large is the crowd that attendees were having difficulty hearing the speakers. A quick scan of mainstream news outlets that have done actual estimates this morning indicates that attendance at this point is between 300,000 and 500,000 people.
And attendees are still arriving at the rally, which began some 90 minutes ago.
Newsbusters is live-streaming the event.
Michelle Malkin reports that as early as 7:30 AM there were already 100,000 peope gathered at the site.
Reporters on the ground, however, state that the claim of 500,000 attendees is grossly underestimated. A more accurate assessment of the crowd may well turn out to be between 500,000 and 1 million.
Speakers at the event represent a broad cross-section of America--civil rights leaders who were present at the Martin Luther King, Jr. rally in 1963, baseball manager Tony LaRusa, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, a host of black preachers, and Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., among others.
Update--Glenn Beck is speaking. Passionate, eloquent, fervent defense of the Founders' vision of America--faith, liberty, truth.
Update 2--Beck concludes by saying our hope as a nation is in God--a concept that is entirely consistent with the numerous writings of Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin. They may not have agreed on points of doctrine, but in one accord they looked to God as the author and sustainer of LIBERTY!
Update 3--Country singer JoDean Messina sings 'America the Beautiful.'
Update 4--More music from Messina and others.
Update 5--This aerial photo indicates the crowd may well number upwards of 1 million!
Updates on the rally will be reported as they become available.
Be sure to catch my blog at The Liberty Sphere.
Comments
You claimed McClatchy newspapers wrote "hundreds of thousands" are in attendance. They did no such thing. You either cannot read or you are embellishing the numbers, neither are good options.
Did you even read the linked article? The first sentence reads, "Hundreds of thousands of people streamed onto the National Mall for a rally ..."
There are quite a few who show up here who cannot read, or hope people won't visit the sites at the links so that they can portray me as a liar. It is a common tactic of Leftwing trolls that shill for Obama on conservative sites.
SPEAKING of not being able to read......
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of people streamed onto the National Mall for a rally featuring Fox News personality Glenn Beck and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate.
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/28/99796/huge-throng-crowd-national-m...
McClatchy newspapers did write "hundreds of thousands" in attendance, but gave no qualification for this estimate. Later in the article, it is stated that there are no crowd estimates.
"No crowd estimates were available, but thousands lined both sides of the reflecting pond facing the Lincoln Monument. Hotels throughout the Washington, D.C., region were sold out, and Metro, the Washington-area subway system, put out an advisory Saturday morning warning of crowded conditions on all lines.
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/28/99796/huge-throng-crowd-national-m..."
To quote "WASHINGTON — Hundreds of thousands of people streamed onto the National Mall for a rally featuring Fox News personality Glenn Beck and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate.
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/28/99796/huge-throng-crowd-national-m..."
so what did "anonymous" miss? the whole point, #1 thing is Truth and #2 is a well written article. Thank you for the Update Sir and Keep them coming....
The whole numbers thing kills me. Compare the ariel photos to that of the "Million Man March" and other such rallys and you can plainly see there were MORE people at this event. I guess when you try to believe that this movement is not as big as it is and that those against this movement are "More Popular" it kind of breaks down a faulty belief system and that causes confusion leading to the initial reponse of denial. I choose to look at the facts, not an interpretation of those facts based on biased beliefs.
Hey "Anonymous",
Why do you find it so necessary to lie? The article does in fact say that hundreds of thousands were at the rally. The article was attached to the story you fool. All of you tea party people out there keep it up! People like this moron have only one tactic left and it is being exposed. Once the ignorant stop listening to their lies, you will win the battle. The truth shall set you free.
I was at the 8/ 28 Restoring Honor rally and the current image that you see doesn't include much of the massive crowd that reached from the Washington monument to the WWII memorial. The crowd reached maximum size somewhere near 1:00 pm. It was easily in the hundreds of thousands. Another point I'd like to make is that the main crowd flow was along both sides of the Mall field. If you look at the pictures, the flow of the crowds to both sides of the field you can tell approximately when the photo was taken. Crowds traveling in toward the Lincoln Memorial indicate that the crowd size was growing. Reverse flow meant that they were leaving. The tipping point between crowds coming and crowds leaving was about 1:10 pm. I went through almost 2 liters of water out there on the center of the mall field approximately 100 yards east of the WWII memorial. I didn't start to leave until the end of the event.
Above 87K. Didn't even break 100k. Review Aerials. -- That's still a of Racists and a few Uncle Toms in one location. Nothing to scoff at. Be proud. Yaay ignorance power!
I think your estimates might be off, http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/civil-rights-movement-15.jpg was 200,000 and http://tinyurl.com/28hgqhw was 800,000. Park services put the Beck Rally crowd estimate at 300-350,000. Let's not overstate the numbers, 300,000 is a lot!
Park services are notorious for underestimating the crowds at these events in recent years. There were at the very least 500,000 and the aerial photo indicates upwards of a million, although there may not have been quite that many. Still, a phenomenal crowd.
I'm not so sure about the >1 million estimate. If you take a look at a lot of the up-close pictures, you'll see that most of the people are not packed in, shoulder-to-shoulder. I've read in several places that the four quads around the pool will hold around 25k each. That would be maxed out.
If the whole crowd in the overhead pics were packed to the gills, then I think a million would be a fair approximation. As it is, it's certainly well north of half-a-million. That is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of.
Nor can it be dismissed out of hand by the MSM. They'll be desperate to try, but that'll be an epic fail on their part.
I was there at 7:20am and could not find a spot along the reflecting pool. According to layouts and means of estimating based upon certain areas, I'd guess 200,000 were there by 7:30. People continued to flow in by the thousands non-stop from when I arrived till more than halfway thru the event. The heaviest flow I saw was actually between 10 and 11 o'clock! The referenced photo was shot pretty early and does not show the crowd back to the Washington Monument (bottom of photo) nor the 100's of thousands under and beyond the tree lines (where we were packed in like sardines for at least a few hundred yards up and down the pool and easily 200-300 feet outward from the edge of the pool. If any reputable estimates are less than half a million, I will be shocked.
The Park Service actually has a policy to NOT report crowd estimates anymore and has that policy since around 1997. They were accused of under reporting estimates so they do not do it anymore. They made one exception for the Inauguration.
So, don't know what "Park Service" you are talking about but the official one has provided no estimate.
The first comment states that the author can't read. Even though I am conservative I always investigate both sides. After clicking on the Mclatchy link the first words of the article contain hundred of thousand poured into... I do believe some people see what they want and you sir are ridiculous. Go try to rain on someone else's parade.
Thanks. It is very clear that McClatchy states 'hundreds of thousands.'
Of course, the left & MSM will attempt to denigrate the gathering by smugly saying it was far smaller than objective observations place it (while attempting to give prop up Al Sharptons impressive audience of 3,000).
I agree with "Anonymous", above, saying "300,000 is a lot", in other words, Yes, thanks, that's plenty (even if in reality it might have been twice that). The point is "THERE ARE BIGGER FISH TO FRY" than worrying about crowd size. Of course, we can predict that for Katie (aka "Catty") Couric and the View crowd will it wasn't enough to match the "Obamanation coronation" (Jan 09) crowd, but certainly this is enough for everyone who's important - who has their brains engaged - to prove "we're serious" about restoring the nation's honor and integrity. Thank you Glen & everyone else who made this possible, (incl. Pat & Stu).
Couldn't disagree more with Beck and the whole baby boom crowd. Nevertheless, its' fine to see your side show up for this rally and spend your dollars. Thanks for priming the pump. Things must not be too bad economically for these folks, they had money to spend on this "Take our country backwards" event. Have a nice day.
We are, thanks for playing!
Sad that you disagree so vehemently with the concept of honor and integrety. Worse that the only argument available is to call names... how typical.
"Have a nice day" is now derogatory when spoken by a progressive? I see, thanks for the update
Many gladly sacrificed to be able to stand and be counted for the sake of our Country... remember that is what they came together for!!! We the People... it is not Glenn that is the point.. it is Freedom, honor, and Faith of our fathers.
"Things must not be too bad economically for these folks, they had money to spend on this "'Take our country backwards"' event."
----------------------------------------------------------
Any guesses how many of 'em used their Social Security checks to come whine about "big government"?
It sounds like your suffering from boomerfobia. Perhaps you should. We boomers should take responsibility for screwing many in the next generation by spoiling them. Love him or hate him beck stands on his principles and drew a huge croud. Good for him.
many folks actually chartered buses and coordinated pick-up points for folks who wanted to come. not too expensive a way to travel when everyone is chipping in.
i mean, its no marine 1 ride to martha's vineyard for a 10 day vacation or air force 2 to spain for the weekend but hey, we can't all live in obama-land can we?
Can you hear me now!
Even if there were only 100,000 it would be successful. From the video I'd say at least 300,000. BTW, I can't stand G Beck but he pulled the crowd and that means , move over Rush, stand aside trad conservative Repubs and that the price of gold will rise.
Even without the support of the leftist M.S.M. in the past, the present and on into the futures of November and 2012 it seems the Movement has legs that are no longer being bound by misinformation from Barry O.'s propaganda machine.....word of mouth and the internet serves us well. I would hope that out of curiosity some of Al Sharptons crowd would drop in for a lookie see, and know too that they are welcome. It will be of great interest to see how the media is going to play this....are there going to be interlopers disguised as Tea Partiers staging hate messages for minority consumption via media. Will the crow tally be deliberately underestimated by the leftist media as with the gathering on 9/12/09....I can only assume it will be so. However Washington and Barry O. and minions now know what their faced with come November and on into 2012 . His desperate media plays to brainwash his followers that he has brought this nation out of ruin just isn't cutting it anymore. As I have said before....knowing full well the modus operandi of Barry O.....we can expect anything and everything from his Chi Town brand of thuggery....desperate people do desperate things! Acorn has been falsely disbanded....broken up into new operative groups and refinanced...only to be used again...keep an eye out for this one! A false flag operation just might be in the works.....they've worked in the past during an election year and kept many politicians in office. Despite my feelings for Glenn Beck I am glad that the rally turned out as good as it did. I now have the rest of my day to take in the medias play on the rally. The chess pieces are being moved !
I watched it live on Facebook and there were over 130,000 people watching it with me. Was truly amazing and uplifting.
Please everyone accept this comment as the joke it is meant to be -
Do you suppose the crowd would have been bigger if so many hadn't been conflicted on which Washington event to attend? - lg
Boy that's funny! They're so stupid they probably got lost leaving, too. Leave the jokes to comedians--you are, however, pretty good with imbecilic comments.
Who said anything about anybody being stupid? Oh, that was you calling someone (I'm not sure who) stupid and me. As always clever with the comeback. Do you think conflicted means confused? - lg
Well done Anthony....thanks !
To the haters of Freedom and the Republic. Lets wait for the official numbers instead of bashing estimates. Estimates are just that "estimates"! You hate freedom and Glenn Beck then have the stones to say it instead of hiding behind your leftist ideals.
We better hope the numbers aint 1.5 million because if all we could pony up was 5 million for this charity out of 1.5 million showing up, then we are missing the whole point of what Beck was asking us to do. I would rather have 200,000 people raise 5 million than 1.5 million spending 20 bucks on a t-shirt but not the kids of these soldiers who gave their lives. I would be really ashamed of that.
Let's just say that there were 500,000 there. It was a HUGE crowd and there were indeed hundreds of thousands - its just a matter of estimating HOW MANY hundreds. Now:
Everyone I met there and out of everyone I know, there are probably 10-20 people for every individual attendee who said they wished they could be there but had obligations, couldn't afford the time or cost of the trip, etc. MIght there have been 10 million... 20 million... or even more had every person who wanted to attend come?
On another note, a relative in Italy watched blogs and such in the hours leading up to the event and people all over the world were cheering on Americans who want America to remain the Shining Light of liberty and example of true freedom for the world.
Its nothing more than splitting hairs now: 300, 400, 500 thousand or more. An incredible number of Americans showed up in support of making honor, integrity, and yes, God the mainstays of American philosophy; an incredible thing by ANYONE'S standards.
Bravo to us all!!!
Let's just say that there were 500,000 there. It was a HUGE crowd and there were indeed hundreds of thousands - its just a matter of estimating HOW MANY hundreds. Now:
Everyone I met there and out of everyone I know, there are probably 10-20 people for every individual attendee who said they wished they could be there but had obligations, couldn't afford the time or cost of the trip, etc. MIght there have been 10 million... 20 million... or even more had every person who wanted to attend come?
On another note, a relative in Italy watched blogs and such in the hours leading up to the event and people all over the world were cheering on Americans who want America to remain the Shining Light of liberty and example of true freedom for the world.
Its nothing more than splitting hairs now: 300, 400, 500 thousand or more. An incredible number of Americans showed up in support of making honor, integrity, and yes, God the mainstays of American philosophy; an incredible thing by ANYONE'S standards.
Bravo to us all!!!
NPR on tonjght's 5 o'clock news reported 'tens of thousands" showed up at the rally- very generous of them, as the teaser to the story said "thousands". I hope folks contact NPR & hold them accountable for their editng the facts.
I just listened to the entire Sharpton rally on CSPAN. On many occasions he and his other guest speakers made references to the Beck Rally, some using only initials of Beck and his speakers and painting it as a racist event and not what M.L.K. had intended for social freedom, that only Sharptons rally was about what M.L.K. intended. At the end of the Sharpton rally and just before they were going to make their march, Sharpton cautioned the crowd that they were to remain calm just like the 60's marches into Selma, that they were not to respond to any hecklers and only smile at them, and that any persons who were already highly agitated should remain behind and not march. Was this an attempt by Sharpton to imply that Tea Baggers were on the periphery of the Sharpton rally just waiting to heckle the marchers, and or an attempt to imply to those watching on t.v. ,especially minorities, that this was the case ? Question.....was this the same case at Beck's rally ......were words said by the speakers and Beck himself about Sharptons rally? Was Beck's crowd cautioned about hecklers ? So far C.N.N. has only shown small portions of the Beck rally....shown some of Becks speech and Palins.....nothing of Dr. Alveda King's speech.....which was said to be the better part of the rally. Sharpton had union speakers, under secretary of labor and even the secretary of education....seems that the fed has great interest in this divide and conquer rally. By stop watch standards C.N.N. gave more air time to Sharpton with a smaller crowd, that they did to Beck's rally with even a larger crowd. Both Beck and Sharpton played the crowds well as did their quest speakers. It's going to be interesting to see how this all plays out in the weeks to come !
heh.. closer to 50,000 in attendance, dudes.
CBS says around 87.000, they had a crowd estimate done. A bit less than half of the people at the National Equality March last year.
There was closer to 500k. We live close and I took my two daughters. very fun and family friendly.
If it wasn't "political" as Glenn Beck insists, why are so many commenters here putting down "leftists" who don't like Beck? At least those "leftists" admit they are political and partisan.
It would be really non-political to acknowledge that Honor and Integrity are values of people all along the political spectrum.
I don't happen to agree with a lot of Tea Party commentary, but I know a whole lot of ordinary people who love this country are looking to shake up a system that takes them for granted and looks only for their own gain.
I hear this from people on the left and the right.
There's a strong case for righteous outrage against injustices, but you have to be careful when it slides toward hatred. That's a kind of poison which undermines your cause.
I'd think if you were reclaiming the dream of MLK you'd have to pick up his insistence on non-violence in thought and deed as well.
The political lines are being drawn in the sand ....it is divide and conquer time by many bureaucrats and those in the media and beyond . These are agendas from power structures above and beyond even those of Washington, our nation and they are outside of Sharpton's and Beck's reach, and will have even more influence on this nation, our people and the course this nation might take in the months and years to come. It matters not how many attended the Beck rally or the Sharpton rally....what matters is the intent of their rallies....the message. Those on both sides feel that they have been disenfranchised by OUR government....and indeed they have !
My friends and relatives from DC went--they said the policemen told them there were a lot less than expected at Glenn Beck's rally -- more like 60,000 and the policemen had handled a lot of marches etc. and felt their guess would be very accurate.
I have unfortunately noted that conservative bloggers on this site are not ashamed to put their name in the response (take responsibility for their words). It is obvious the liberal bloggers are embarrassed of their comments or do not want to take responsibility for their words by placing Anonymous in the "Your Name" section. I guess the liberals are following the Administration's position of we are not responsible for any outcomes from our decisions, i.e. it is President Bush's fault President Obama's programs did not work as promised. I guess it comes down to what my Grandfather said "A Man is only as good as his word. If he will not stand by his word the Man is no good." Hmmmm... gives one room for thought.
I agree... so many negatives from one person "anonymous" he/she/it is very prolific and kind of negative.
Oh well.
God Bless America!
Sure, put your name all over everything you say. Give the terrists a easy path to your identity. As a conservative, self proclaimed right winger I have enough common sense not to let the enemy know exactly who I am. Does the word FEAR, mean nothing to you. Common now folks I mean really.
I attended this rally as well as the 9/12. My estimate is that thee were at least 800,000. The park was filled in every direction. The truth will never come out. Beck did a spectacular job. His tribute to Martin Luther King would make anyone proud. He also collected $5,000,000 for families of special ops soldiers who died.
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