Glenn Beck's 'Restoring Honor' Rally Draws Tea Party Activists

Aug. 27, 2010— -- The Tea Party's grassroots momentum will be on display Saturday as the conservative movement converges in Washington, D.C. for Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally, an event that has come under fire from some civil rights leaders for being held on the same day as the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic freedom march.

Tea Party groups from across the country are mobilizing efforts to support the rally, even though organizers are shying away from putting the Tea Party label on it, and even went as far as shunning signs.

Beck has said the rally will be non-political, even though it's name may suggest otherwise. The other keynote speaker besides him is Sarah Palin, a fierce critic of the Obama administration's policies and a leading voice in the mid-term elections.

From all of the Tea Party Patriots' chapters around the country, "I can't find anywhere that people aren't coming from to go to this event. Our members are coming from all over the country," said Mark Meckler, co-founder of the organization.

The National Park Service estimates about a 100,000 people will be in attendance. The DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA) is preparing for a crowd of between 100,000 and 200,000 for all rallies taking place in the nation's capital that day.

Al Sharpton's National Action Network will hold a "Reclaim the Dream" march, one of several marches commemorating King.

Dueling rallies and marches celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. have created some concern about clashes although both sides have promised a peaceful gathering.

"There are certain concerns based on the nature of the events and the conflicting themes," said Millacent West, director of HSEMA. "But we believe we're working to address each challenge as it comes up. We have not heard or seen anything that would lead us to believe this wouldn't be peaceful."

Sharpton and several other African American leaders have blasted Beck and the conservative right for distorting the legacy of the civil rights movement.

"What they are trying to do is divert the nation from the agenda of Martin Luther King to their agenda, and I think that's hijacking his legacy," said Rev. Carlton W. Veazey, minister of the National Baptist Convention and president of Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, which held a press conference Thursday to announce its opposition to Beck's rally.