Labor, Civil Rights Groups Will Rally in D.C. to Push Back on Tea Party

The NAACP and several labor unions will rally in Washington this fall to push for new jobs and to give a voice to working class Americans who say the conservative Tea Party movement doesn't represent their views.

"It's very annoying to see the Tea Party folks on television all the time as if they're speaking for working people, while all they're doing is divide working people and push our agenda back, both racially and economically," George Gresham, a march organizer and local member of the Service Employees International Union, told The New York Times. "It is annoying that some people treat the Tea Party as the only voice out there trying to speak out about the economic downturn."

Gresham said the SEIU and the NAACP are planning the march for Saturday, Oct. 10, in time to rally voters for the November election. He called the event "10-10-10."

Organizers want to show support for efforts by President Barack Obama and Congress to pass legislation that takes a progressive stance on jobs, financial overhaul and other issues, the Times reported.

Gresham said he wanted to push back against conservative criticism of the president and congressional leaders.

"While I was watching the health care reform effort, which so many people supported, one somehow got the impression that people didn't want health care reform. That was wrong," Gresham told the Times.