Thousands take part in protests across US against government's financial policy

March 1, 2009 🇺🇸 Last Friday, thousands of people, in a total of more than thirty US cities, took part in a protest against the economic policy of the US government.

The event, which was inspired by the Boston Tea Party, took place due to comments made by CNBC presenter Rick Santelli.

"This is America! How many of you people want to pay for your neighbors' mortgages, that has an extra bathroom and can't pay their bills?" said Santelli, speaking on-air to the television audience. "We're thinking about having a Chicago tea party in July. All you capitalists that wanna show up at Lake Michigan, I'm gonna start organizing."

The protest took place in anger against the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). Several protesters voiced their opposition to this act. "I'm sick and tired of it," said protester Barbara Keeton, speaking to WYFF4.com. "That's my money. That's my grandchildren's future. It's down the toilet."

"The debt that Obama's got, is way higher now, less than 100 days after he's been in office," she continued.

Organizers of Friday's protests have announced that they are planning a new series of protests on April 15.