By Jennifer Glickel and Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Staff
EAST VILLAGE — The Tea Party protest outside of President Barack Obama's speech in New York City was more like tea for two on Thursday, with only a handful of members present at the event.
The protesters, who were part of a local arm of the movement called Tea Party 365, carried signs and spoke to passersby about their distaste for the Wall Street reform package Obama is promoting.
“I’m here as a New Yorker because Obama is bad for New York," said tea partier Ayton Eller, a Brooklyn accountant. "I’m here to protest the legislation Obama wants to pass, because Wall Street is Main Street. If the banks are regulated, it will have a ripple effect on the country and the world."
Kevin Donahue, an Upper East Side resident, said he is a Democrat but he is also a member of Tea Party 365 because he believes government is getting too big.
"The more government grows, the less freedom we have because we're the ones paying for it," Donahue said. "This is a capitalist country and we want it to stay that way."
Obama's speech had five main points: Protecting taxpayers when large financial firms fail; limiting the amount of risks taken on by banks; setting new transparency rules for derivatives and other complex financial instruments; stronger consumer protections; and giving investors more of a say in who runs firms and limiting executive pay.
"Join us, instead of fighting us in this effort," Obama urged at his speech at Cooper Union, only blocks from Wall Street.
