It felt good to be in the front lines.
We got there at 5:30PM with Pris from LA and Lee and Anita, a couple of veteran healthcare activists from the San Fernando Valley.
There were at least 300 teabaggers (we expected as many as 2000) making a lot of noise. With their hideous signs proclaiming Obama a Nazi and a Marxist (go figure), opposing "socialist health care and so on.
The town hall wasn't starting until 7PM. There were at least 10 TV trucks and a relatively small police presence.
There were another 200 to 300 healthcare reform supporters of all types surrounding them but not as organized. The teabaggers made more noise and were all concentrated in a single block.
It was going to be an interesting event in this city south of Pasadena and not far from Downtown Los Angeles, to say the least.
Another 100 teabaggers showed up but they were matched by an additional 100 of our guys.
We started chanting, "Health care now!" to drown their chants of things like "No death care" and things like that.
I borrowed a sign from the SEIO people (I think), "Reform Now Insure people not profits!"
There were a lot of one on ones. I got involved in quite a few myself. Things got pretty heated but never physical. It was clear that we outnumbered them.
I had time to circulate and spread the fliers for our next Single Payer Happy Hour to be held in Woodland Hills on August 28 at 5PM on the Warner Center Park at Topanga Cny Blvd and Califa St. near the headquarters of Blue Cross and Blue Shiled California, Health Net and other HMOs.
Pris took some video that she promises to post on YouTube soon.
At 7PM the panel organized by Congressman Adam Schiff got started. There were several people on it, all for healthcare reform including a representative from Kaiser Permanente.
Adam Schiff spoke very well and emphasyzed the need for a public option.
The teabaggers tried to drown his speech and other's with boos but they gave up when we all yelled at them to shut up and let them speak.
The panel was going to be held inside but because of attendance Adam Schiff had it moved to the street. I think this was a very good idea.
The panel members spoke and answered questions both written and from the audience until about 8PM.
It was clear that the teabaggers started leaving early very frustrated when they realized that this time in Alhambra they had not accomplished their goal of disrupting the town hall.
It was also a great opportunity to meet organizers from Healthcare for all, AARP, California Nurses, Organize for America and many other healthcare reformers.
Afterward we went for dinner and drinks to celebrate our victory over these angry teabaggers.
We did it.