At least three north country communities joined a national day of 'tea party' protests Wednesday.

Anti-tax and government spending protestors gathered in Canton, Gouverneur and Watertown.

They were part of more than 700 scheduled protests around the country.

(The New York Times has a story about what's going on nationwide, and background on the protests, here.)

In the two sites visited by 7 News, reporter Jessica Cain saw dozens of people - 40 to 50 at the village park in Gouverneur, and a few dozen in Watertown, although we were told there were more than 100 people gathered in Watertown at one point.

Tea bags were handed out, protestors waved signs, and they got a lot of people driving by to honk.

In Watertown, the crowd chanted "Born free, taxed to death."

"I look at my 4-year-old, and I worry about his future.  I know that right now, I live in a free country, but at the rate things are going, there won't be a free country for him, or my grandchildren,"  Eli Schultz, one of the organizers of the Watertown rally said.

Schultz said she has never been involved in a protest like this before.

Judging from signs and statements, the protestors who gathered in the north country have issues with the stimulus bill and bailouts; the size of the U.S. debt; a variety of taxes; and "socialism."

"To me, it's about the spending, the wasteful spending that they're doing. I can't afford it. Nobody can anymore, said Larry Kelsey of Gouverneur, as he attended the Gouverneur rally.

"We are going to fight together.  We're going to be united.  We are going to stand just like our forefathers, just like the Revolution," said Kathy Bristol of Cape Vincent, also at the Gouverneur rally.