Workers' Uprising: Madison Capitol Protesters Ignore Gov. Walker's Order to Leave, Key Wisconsin Republicans Defect
The protests in Wisconsin continue into their second week, with thousands holding strong in the capitol in Madison, a huge showing of support for the economic rights of union members and the restoration of a strong middle class. The following is a collection of updates and items on what's happening in Wisconsin and the rest of the country.
Update: Yesterday police allowed protesters to stay in the Capitol past the 4 PM deadline set for their removal. Wisconsin Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs said that officers are trying to persuade the remaining protesters to leave voluntarily, but did not say when police would resort to forcible removal. Protesters have vowed to stand their ground. Possibly hundreds could be arrested, reports the AP:
It's unclear how many protesters plan to be arrested rather than disperse, but the number could be in the hundreds. Protest leaders say they plan to cooperate fully and are urging everyone to remain calm.
Update: In an op-ed in the NYT Mayor Michael Bloomberg defends unions' right to collective bargaining:
But unions also play a vital role in protecting against abuses in the workplace, and in my experience they are integral to training, deploying and managing a professional work force. Organizing around a common interest is a fundamental part of democracy. We should no more try to take away the right of individuals to collectively bargain than we should try to take away the right to a secret ballot.
Update:
The AP profiles the volunteer organizers in Madison who have kept the protests going:
Nearly two weeks after the start of massive protests against Gov. Scott Walker's proposal that would strip nearly all public employees of their collective bargaining rights erupted, a network of volunteers has emerged as the skeleton that keeps the daily demonstrations alive. ... In a third-floor room where the UW-Madison Teaching Assistants Association has based its support operations, a wood conference table is dwarfed by a mountain of bedding supplies, while posters organizing protests, rides and class coverage for absent TAs line the walls. "I think in general having a sense of humor in all of this has been important," said Kevin Gibbons, TAA co-president. "You have some students I've been talking to reflecting on it and they say, `Everybody sort of seems happy, this is a serious protest.' But it is needed to sustain this kind of energy."
Update:
The New York Times reports on efforts made by the police and other authorities to quell the protests from inside the Madison capitol:
In recent days, the Capitol police have made it harder for protesters to spend the night by banning sleeping bags and containers of food from being brought inside and by gradually forcing people to move from upper floors to lower floors. “They have been trying to condense us,” said Michela Torcaso, who has spent six nights in a row inside.
Update:
AlterNet's Joshua Holland on the latest events on Sunday afternoon in Madison, Wisc:
According to reports via Twitter, Republican state senator Dale Schultz has withdrawn his support for Governor Scott Walker's union-busting bill. Last week Schultz, a veteran lawmaker who's served in the senate for 20 years, offered a "compromise" proposal in an attempt to break the deadlock, but it was rejected by Walker and panned by the protesters.Two other GOP members would have to join Schultz and break ranks with their party in order to kill the bill. Journalist Micah Uetricht reports via Twitter that a huge sign at the capitol reads, "we need 3 courageous senators," and protesters are now changing the number to 2 to deafening cheers.
Earlier, Scott Walker had ordered that the capitol be closed and the protesters removed at 4pm CST but they said they wouldn't leave, setting up a standoff.But the hour came and went, and now there are multiple reports via Twitter, yet unconfirmed, that police have announced that protesters would be allowed to spend the night in the capitol. Micah Uetricht reports that an earlier pizza embargo has been lifted, and food has arrived on the scene.
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Update:
Read Daniel Denvir's rundown on the Rally for the American Dream that took place on Saturday:
Thousands rallied nation-wide on Saturday, with MoveOn putting the total at over 100,000 people in Madison and 50,000 in other state capitols and major cities. Protests at state capitols were also a warning shot to governors around the country: workers will fight major cuts to social programs and attacks on unions.The protests in Wisconsin have now sparked a nation-wide movement. They are a clear demonstration of unity against the Tea Party's cruel agenda to break the back of union representation, and a rejection of the notion that deficits and government spending are the country's biggest problem.
Update:
AlterNet has a great collection of photos sent in by readers and our reporters from rallies across the country.
Update:
Read Joshua Holland's interviews with attendants of Saturday's rally in San Francisco, and Sarah Seltzer's account of the protests in New York City.
Update:
This weekend, AlterNet's Adele Stan reported on how Rupert Murdoch's media empire is giving a big assist to the Koch brothers' assault on Wisconsin, explaining that while Fox News feeds its rabble the anti-union line, Murdoch's Wall Street Journal columnists front for Koch's Americans for Prosperity and coddle elite investors. Read the article here.
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