Protesters of big government descend on Washington

Tens of thousands of protesters from around the country marched to the Capitol on Saturday to demonstrate against the White House and Congress for what they say is an ever-expanding intrusion of government.

On a cloudy and cool September morning, people waved flags and carried signs as they arrived at Freedom Plaza in downtown Washington,and before long the throng filled the west lawn of the Capitol and stretched to the White House on Pennsylvania Avenue. The event was being billed as the culmination of summer protests at town meetings, where opposition to the president’s health care plan boiled over.

“This is not some kind of radical right-wing group,” SenatorJim DeMint, Republican of South Carolina, said in an interview as dozens of people streamed by him a few blocks from the White House. “I just hope the Congress, the Senate and the president recognize that people are afraid of what’s going on.”

They came by bus, car and airplane, arriving here from Texas and Tennessee, New Mexico and New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The hand-written messages on their signs told the story of an intense distrust withgovernment, which began well before Mr. Obama took office and extends far beyond the effort to overhaul health care.One sign declared: “Congress: are you stoned or just stupid? Please wake up and save America.” Another said, “We are under attack by our own government.” And several signs said, “Our Constitution has termites!”