JON STEWART’S “RALLY TO RESTORE SANITY” IN NATION’S CAPITOL DRAWS HUGE CROWD ESTIMATED AT 215,000 October 31, 2010
(NATIONAL) -- It turns out that either Comedy Central’s chief funny man Jon Stewart of The Daily Show is a lot more popular than anyone imagined or the message he brought to the Capitol Mall in Washington, DC Saturday has resonated with Americans in a very big way.
CBS News commissioned a company to do a crowd estimate of Stewart’s much anticipated Rally To Restore Sanity”, along with his Comedy Channel cohort Stephen Colbert’s concurrent “March to Restore Fear”, and the crowd estimate at Stewart’s event was an eye-popping 215,000 people.
CBS News also commissioned the same firm, AirPhotosLive.com, to do a crowd estimate of Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally in August and the crowd estimate of Beck's event was about 87,000.
If the firm’s estimates are accurate, that means Stewart outdrew Glenn Beck by a greater than 2-to-1 margin.
Below is Stewart’s opening monologue to the rally.
And there may have been more than 215,000 had there been room for them, says the website tbd.com. It reported the huge turnout for Saturday's rally quickly overwhelmed the Mall, forcing thousands of people into nearby streets and eventually, just giving up and leaving.
The report said, “South of G Street, police were forced to close 7th Street NW to vehicular traffic as the beginnings of an early rally exodus took over the road. Further north, bars and restaurants quickly filled up with those seeking a bite to eat and a television on which to watch the rest of the spectacle on Comedy Central
"I don't think they were expecting the amount of people who showed up down there," says John Brooks of D.C., who by 1:30 p.m. was sitting comfortably inside Chinatown's Bar Louie. Despite being from the area, Brooks and his family admit they got turned around amid the sea of people packing the streets. "We tried to help some tourists find their way, but it was hard."
Although the National Park Service does not estimate crowds anymore, the New York Times' Brian Stelter wrote on Twitter during the event that the Park Service privately told Viacom there were "well over 200,000" people at the rally, according to one company executive. Stewart joked during the rally that there were ten million people present and promised to "count them all."
Some of the signs carried at the rally read:
"This sign mocks extremists in a witty and humorous manner."
"I'm for the separation of church and hate."
"Restore Sanity. Fight Fox."
"tea parties are for little girls."
"Jews against frivolous Hitler comparisons."
"I support reasonable conclusions based on supported facts."
