Tax Protest Over Increased Vehicle Taxes in Rhode Island

Editor’s Note:  Especially interesting are the comments from local residents and supporters of the protest.

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Barbara Polichetti

The Providence Journal

WARWICK, R.I. — A taxpayer rally to protest the city’s substantially increasing local car taxes got off to a slow and damp start at City Hall Monday but grew quickly with protesters opting to avoid the wet sidewalks and instead assemble in the council chambers to await the 7 p.m. start.

By 6 p.m., more than 120 people had gathered and were conducting their own meeting, taking turns at the podium to decry the tax increase.

The council, which was holding its committee meetings, as usual, in a small basement room, was intermittently off-limits to protesters as people with business before the committees took up the available 49 seats.

Fire officials were on hand to keep count of the number of people in the room in the basement. As seats became vacant, uniformed police officers allowed protesters in.

At one point, rally organizer Rob Cote asked the council if they would move upstairs to the council chambers where the larger crowd was waiting. They declined.

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