Anti-Tax Protesters Ousted From State Senate During Transportation Bill Debate

BOSTON (AP) — A group of anti-tax protesters has been evicted from the Senate gallery after briefly disrupting debate Saturday on a transportation finance plan that calls for about $500 million in new state taxes.

Senate President Therese Murray ordered court officers to remove the approximately two dozen protesters after they loudly cheered a Republican senator who proposed eliminating the new taxes from the bill. Murray had earlier asked the spectators to be respectful of the debate.

Ed Purtz, of Salem, said many demonstrators had come to the Statehouse after earlier attending a Tea Party rally on the Boston Common, featuring anti-tax activist Grover Nordquist.

Purtz said it was "outrageous" that the group was asked to leave. Some chanted "no new taxes" as they were escorted from the gallery.