MANKATO — A crowd of some 200 turned out in downtown Mankato Wednesday evening protesting higher taxes and deficit spending, as late filers dropped their tax forms in the mailboxes near the Post Office across the street.

The TEA (taxed enough already) Party was part of a nationwide event spawned largely through Internet organizing.

Steve and Amy Moller brought their eight children from Winnebago to participate, with a “Stop Spending My Future” sign attached to a baby carriage.

“I’m a reluctant protester,” Steve Moller said. “But I feel obligated to our children.”

He said he is opposed to the growth of government, deficit spending and government bailouts.

“The market rewards those who are fiscally responsible and punishes those who aren’t. They should have let the market deal with it,” he said.

“How can we print a trillion dollars without creating hyper inflation? We can’t.”

And, like many in the crowd, Moller said he blames both parties, but was harder on President Barack Obama. “I think both parties have sold us out.”

Patrick Dempsey, a 39-year-old Chaska resident who attended college here, said he abandoned the Republican party in 2002 for the Libertarians.

“I’m attracted to the economic issues not the social issues. I don’t like seeing the growth in government. It’s too big, too fast.”

Like many at the protest, Dempsey said he learned about the events through the Internet.

Steve Leslie, the local organizer, said he got involved after receiving an e-mail from Newt Gingrich months ago talking about the event and seeking volunteers.

“I put my name down and it kind of snowballed,” Leslie said. “I thought we’d just get a handful of people. This is fantastic.”

He said he believes out-of-control spending is drawing people together.

“People are just frustrated about the debt and our children will be paying for it.”

That’s what brought Arlen Skorr, a retired economics professor, to the rally.

“We’ve messed up the financial situation for our generation, but now we’re doing it to our children. I always told my students debt was OK if you use it wisely. We’re not using it wisely,” Skorr said.

“This is the first time I’ve ever been ashamed of my country.”

Ryan Evanson, a senior at Minnesota State University, said he is a conservative moving toward the Libertarian philosophy and came to the rally because he feels a movement is beginning.

“We’re throwing away money,” Evanson said.”Eventually this is going to catch up with us. People’s eyes are being opened. It’s exciting to be part of this.”

While the event was billed as non-partisan, there was a decided anti-Obama view in many of the signs that were displayed. And while it was focused on taxes and spending, a variety of issues were brought up on protesters signs:

“How’s that Hope and Change Working for Ya?”

“No Tax $$ for Abortion.”

“I Believe in God, Guns, Bibles, Babies. Where’s my representation?”

The Mankato event was part of a nationwide event held in 600 cities, including 15 in Minnesota.

Heavy turnout was reported in many cities as thousands of protesters, some dressed like Revolutionary War soldiers and most waving signs with anti-tax slogans, gathered around the nation.

The protests were held everywhere from Kentucky, which just passed tax increases on cigarettes and alcohol, to South Carolina, where the governor has repeatedly criticized the $787 billion economic stimulus package Congress passed earlier this year.