With cheers from several hundred people on the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge, a couple hundred bags of tea were dumped into the Wabash River from a large box at 1 p.m. today during Lafayette's Tax Day Tea Party.

Part of a nationwide protest in around 500 cities on the same day, the event was held to protest what organizers called excessive taxation and a lack of fiscal responsibility on the part of federal lawmakers.

The tea dumping went on despite an ongoing debate as to whether it would be considered polluting the river and possibly be subject to fines.

"I am prepared to pollute today," organizer Donn Brown said to the cheers of the crowd gathered on the bridge. As the event ended, there was no indication that anyone would be fined.

A second event is scheduled this evening at 6 p.m. at the same spot, Brown said, adding organizers plan to dump more tea into the river.

Original Journal and Courier article