If nothing else, this week's reenactment of the Boston Tea Party taught its participants a history lesson. The lesson was this: When people are dissatisfied with the status quo, they will demonstrate that dissatisfaction. And at this point in American history, the people are very unhappy with Richard Nixon.

In what turned out to be the largest Boston-area demonstration in almost two years, more than 10,000 people jammed the Congress St. dock near Boston harbor to call for the impeachment of Nixon. The demonstration, which included a counter reenactment to the official re-creation of the Boston Tea Party, concentrated on peaceful opposition to Nixon in general and his oil policies in particular.

Only a small portion of the crows came to see the official re-enactment, put on by the Boston 200 Bicentennial Commission. More than 1000 came and chanted for impeachment at a town meeting in Fanueil Hall, and then joined 9000 others at the dock for an effigy hanging of Nixon.