Photo by erin m.

So, you decided to take a nice leisurely stroll around the National Mall today, eh? You probably ran into a sizable contingent of tea party protesters. The AP and WTOP are reporting that somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 people made their way towards the Mall, completely obstructing Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 14th Street and the Capitol building along the way.

Fellow weekend editor Kriston Capps — who is down on the Mall covering the scene — texted DCist HQ to say that proceedings are moving along “remarkably smooth[ly].” At this junction, Capps reports that he isn’t sure when the rally is going to break up, but that as of 1:15, “there were more people leaving than arriving.” How are the protesters taking a break? There is “a standing line outside the door to the National Museum of the American Indian,” according to our roving reporter.

Lest you think that Glenn Beck’s grainy Fox News feed from the scene (see right) is the only viewpoint of the kind of people attending today’s protest, well, think again.

“[There’s] lots of nice people sitting in chairs on the Mall,” notes Capps.