Occupy Chicago Protester: Tea Party 'Stole' the 'Don't Tread on Me' Symbol

Anyone who has seen pictures or video of a Tea Party rally is familiar with the Gadsen flag -- that yellow piece of fabric with  a snake that says "Don't Tread on Me." It's become a Tea Party staple, and some Tea Partiers in Texas, Virginia, and Arizona have lobbied their states to get the image on their license plates. So when blogger Rebel Pundit recently caught up with an Occupy Chicago marcher who was wearing a "Don't Tread on Me" hat, he was intrigued and decided to ask the marcher and his partner about it. Surprisingly, it's not what you think.

"It's a revolutionary war," the man's female partner explains. "And they [the Tea Party] took it, stole it."

"We can't let them co-opt it," the man adds, before calling the Tea Party "misguided" Americans who are dividing the country. You can watch the exchange below:

But Chicago protesters weren't the only ones. Gadsen flags have been popping up at other protests, such as this one in Tampa, FL:

(H/T: The Blog)