Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Anger After a Day of Lockdown in Madison
With a lot of the media pulling up stakes yesterday in Madison as protests entered their third week, and with one day until Governor Walker’s budget presentation to a joint session of the legislature, it was an opportune time for a serious crackdown on access to the Capitol. And that’s what happened today. Capitol police only allowed in constituents with appointments with members of the legislature, and refused access for anyone who wouldn’t show ID, including a state Representative.
On the 14th day of protests at the state Capitol in Madison, police and demonstrators gather on the rotunda floor on Monday. No further protesters have been allowed inside the building. (ANDY MANIS - Associated Press) State Rep Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, says she was denied access to the Capitol at several entrances this morning because she refused to show her Capitol ID card.
“I said I’m a representative, but I don’t feel you have any legal basis for restricting my access whether I have a Capitol ID or not,” she says. “And they said, ‘Our orders are that no one gets in this building unless they have a Capitol ID.’”
She eventually got in by tagging along with a member of the media.
Roys was not the only Democratic Assemblymember who had difficulty today. And even those who entered the building were subject to pat-downs and metal detectors, which never occurred previously. There were even police dogs out front. This sounds like a totally different place from the one I left yesterday.
Protest organizers have been negotiating with the Capitol police for access for their colleagues throughout the day, as well as an increase in access to supplies, but to no avail. The rules kept changing – first people wouldn’t be allowed in, then a few negotiated individually. But in general, the Capitol was closed to visitors and protesters, the opposite of what organizers were told Sunday night, and in violation of the state Constitutional allowance for peaceful assembly. Even as Democrats held a “public” hearing on the budget repair bill, the public could not get to the Capitol Rotunda, and were escorted to and from the hearing room. Protesters have dwindled to anywhere from a dozen to a hundred, depending on what you read.
The Wisconsin ACLU wrote a letter to the Department of Administration making these same points. “Prohibiting protesters on either side of the debate from entering the Capitol during normal business hours or during legislative hearings or sessions, while allowing others with ‘business’ in the Capitol to enter, is manifestly content-based and hence presumptively unconstitutional,” a letter from the group to Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch said. You can read Huebsch’s response. It’s nonsense. He’s saying that the Capitol remains closed to additional protesters, when that’s not what he told activists yesterday.
“It’s definitely different from what they were saying last night,” says David Wasserman, who was at the Capitol Sunday night, but who was back at his teaching job at Sennett Middle School this morning.
Wasserman says police told protesters Sunday that the Capitol doors would be open for business as usual this morning.
“Our understanding was the general public would be able to access the Capitol based on the regular hours and they actually specifically said that at 8 o’clock the doors would be unlocked,” he says.
Rep. Brett Hulsey (D-Madison) said in a statement, “Governor Walker and the Republicans are trying again to shut down freedom of speech and assembly, core Constitutional values. This is part of Walker’s plan to ram the budget despair bill through without letting 28 other Representatives vote. Now he is taking away your rights and freedom to visit the Capitol.”
You can add to that the petty measures to make it difficult for Democratic Senate staffers to get their work done, like revoking their photocopying codes and charging for printing paper (really).
I don’t see how this does anything but raise the anger among the protesters, hundreds of whom chanted and demonstrated outside the Capitol today. Maybe that’s the point, to get them to do something stupid. But I don’t think that will happen. The protest movement is far smarter and more focused in their activities than to do that. They are saying that this is an illustration of how Governor Walker has tried to silence the voices of Wisconsin citizens, and an extension of Walker’s effort to silence public employees. As the co-president of the Teaching Assistants’ Association, Kevin Gibbons, said, “Governor Walker is blatantly abusing his power to quell the public dissent and discourse around the Budget Repair Bill and the impending release of the state budget. The citizens of Wisconsin should not accept such blatant disregard for our rights to be inside of the Capitol, peacefully demonstrate, and voice our opinions.”
You can add your voice to the protesters here.
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
51 Comments so far
Show AllIf any of you out there aren't aware now once and for all of the lies the American politicians are puking on to you, the last lie being the protestors would be allowed back in the building bull shit...well, let the heads roll off Wall St because the public is speaking. May have to bring a guillotine next time.
The more you Republicans and right wing assholes do, the madder we'll get and the sorrier you'll be.
If Fitzgerald fires the staffers there will be plenty of wrongful termination attornies willling to take on the state, thereby adding to Wisconsin's budget problems.
This revolution can't turn to violence in its infancy.
We're just getting started. There's a lot of work to be done but if we go down that road this early in the game, we'll be doing exactly what they want.
Don't give them an excuse to turn the dogs loose.
That said, the koch brothers office down the road from the capitol...anybody trying to get into that building for official fascist business should have to hear it and then some from the crowd.
I hope the police remember who they are and where they come from. It's their mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers who are fighting for survival. Why should the police protect the super wealthy who want to rob the public?
The Capitol Police are suckers if they don't realize that Walker's current blame the victims bill is phase 1 of a grand scheme. One of the future phases includes outsourcing the services the Capitol Police currently provide.
Walker didn't include police in his bill. He knows where most of them stand.
Just like during the glorious Vietnam War.
This is why I hope at least some people are reading Alinsky.
This is what the scum do -- each time we do something, they learn how to counter it so that the tactic can't easily be re-used. Then we have to come up with some other tactic. Unless we make significant gains each time, eventually we run out of new tactics.
Yes. Next step could likely be the National Guard, something Walker mentioned in the beginning. Getting NV Civil Disobedience process ready I hope is happening.
Gee, if they bring home the National Guard to oppress us, who will oppress the countries of the Middle East?
As much as I dislike most US police tactics and actions, the police in WI during these protests have been, for the most part, very professional and courteous. Did I misjudge the police force or is it just that their ox is about to get gored too? Time will certainly tell as the clock is running out, they will have to make a final choice of whom they will serve soon.
No worker in Wisconsin will be spared as Walker's assault on the working class advances beyond this initial phase of shock and awe !
Gee, you don't think the fact that some of the people occupying the Capitol are representatives from the police & firefighters unions has anything to do with the police being restrained for this long? Amy Goodman has interviewed several police officers who have been present. Once they're gone, though...
Tea pots & other right-leaning nuts, even when packing heat to a presidential event, never seem to have to deal with out-of-control police. I'm just trying to imagine what would've happened if someone on the left ever tried to duplicate some of their stunts.
No, with some exceptions most people join the police force for all the very wrong reasons.
Define Freedom,
I think its both. Many of our big city (and some not so big) police forces have long gone from what we should expect. Mainly due to 2 reasons. One being that the people put in charge don't see the public as their "boss" but the political leadership instead, and the other is that many of these police forces are actually woefully understaffed. You could throw in a third, in that our police routinely see the public in less than flattering light. They see some of the worst of society and I can't help but think that after so long they either just get jaded or come to see the public as "the enemy".
On the other hand, there are many fine people who are in law enforcement who actually do care about the public even with all they see and deal with. I know for all the crap our local city police get, the average street cop really is trying to do right by the public and the same can be said for most the officers around the nation.
If ever there was a thankless job its probably this one.
I heard on the Ed Schultz show, from a Democratic politician who called in from his exile in Illinois, that lobbyists were being waved into the WI capitol building with no problems whatsoever. We live in a thorough-going plutocracy, no offense to Pluto, the dog or the god of the underworld. In the corporate states of America, unions must be crushed and all the safety nets must be destroyed because only the rich are worthy in a kleptocracy.
There is plenty of democracy for sale in Amerika for those with the means to pay for it.
welding windows shut violates fire safety regulations.
If they've welded the windows shut is this in violation of the fire code?
Yes, however, why would a Governor who has declared war on the working class care about fire codes.
Walker and his ilk want to turn the US into a third world nation.
Third world nations rarely take such codes seriously, so why should Walker?
The fascist police and governor is Wisconsin who are trying to close the state capitol are suppressing peaceful protests....we need to bring democracy to the US.
"George Orwell... would you please pick up the white telephone."
"Paging Huxley, Aldous Huxley... would you please meet your party in the Brave New World suite."
"Would Franz Kafka come to the front courtesy desk. Again, this is a page for Mr. Franz Kafka to come to the front courtesy desk."
Remember Malcome X "By any means necessary"
Fight back.Be creative.
Creative fighting is good. Violence is stupid, if for no other reason they have all the big guns.
At a meeting a week ago of the CPofA is that we are in the darkest period since WWll. Hope it goes as Darkest before the Dawn.
"What’s going on in Wisconsin right now by the state Republicans is pretty unconscionable"
There is no organization guilty of more skulduggery, death and destruction in this world over the past decade than the USan Repuk party. Meanwhile, this publication, FireDogLake, makes it sounds like a mostly well-behaved organization that has only lately erred. So we see how very carefully we must scrutinize communications by the so-called opposition in the USA, which is apparently not so much opposed at all to the mountains of still-outstanding mega-crimes against humanity.
"What’s going on in Wisconsin right now by the state Republicans is pretty unconscionable"
There is no organization guilty of more skulduggery, death and destruction in this world over the past decade than the USan Repuk party. Meanwhile, this publication, FireDogLake, makes it sound like a mostly well-behaved organization that has only lately erred. So we see how very carefully we must scrutinize communications by the so-called opposition in the USA, which is apparently not so much opposed at all to still-outstanding mega-crimes against humanity perpetrated by these mega-criminals in our names.
This stinks of Waco-nesque.
Let me translate President Obomba's words into one sentence: I made sure that my wealthy and corporate friends got their money, and now you the middle and lower classes, must be prepared for sacrifice. Yes Mr. President, once again, you have proven you are a shill for the plutocrats.
It's rather easy to see (from the last section of the Article) that a Constitution, the U.S., Wisconsin, or any other State, is - and has always been - a meaningless piece of paper to these Facist Bastards.
Quoting the words of our Liar & Murderer In-Chief doesn't offer much in the way of credibility. He has none.
Not even a good try.
Pass the bill, save your jobs and live (with a paycheck) to fight another day.
They're letting the protesters stay there because its a lot cheaper than throwing them in the slammer & feeding them. The goons can keep a closer eye on them, too.
When America allowed Republicans to rape 9-11 into overthrowing Iraq to privatize its oil and control OPEC, they had absolute power. Ninety-eight percent of Democrats went along. No checks. No balances. No war, just a chemical invasion, subsequent bombing and harvesting of the oil and gas by international companies. No photos, no newsreels, not one photo of one oil rig. My journalism profession is supposed to be the Gatekeepers, the Fourth Estate to ensure American psychopaths and billionaires do not control our standing armies for multi-national corporate enrichment which is exactly what has occurred. If the original mission of killing bin Laden had been acccomplished, the mission would have been over but they saw a business opportunity to steal this oil and not one human being is standing in obstinate defiance who is being heard. So do not be surprised they are killing our unions and making the poor pay the debt. They kill our sons for Ray Hunt and Dick Cheney and our corporate Democrats are complicit. Nothing has changed. On May 4, 1970, the National Guard in Ohio kneeled and summarily murdered four young adults most of whom had been protesting the ROTC chapter on campus and they threw stones and America murdered them for it. Happy hunting.
Yes. I blame the Democrats- it is why American voters turned to them for justice and hope when they understood the evil of the Bush leadership. Obama held their trust and then stomped on it. He could have led the country and the Democrats in a sincere effort for a better future for Americans and the world- but that would have been what he promised.. real hope and change, powerful stuff and too dangerous for the fascists and corporate backers. The “revolution" could have been accomplished easily and peacefully with the momentum that elected him. He sold us out. We are waiting to hear his plan to sell us out again at the national level with the budget. Just listen to who they say should share. Ask yourself why these leaders don’t use enforcement to take down the Wall St. crooks instead. Feel any kinship with these deficit problems, the politicians and crooks that created them? NO. Feel like saving their asses? No.
Obama never sold you out, he lied to you. There is a big difference.
Obama has always been a member of the ruling elite. He went to Harvard law school. Did you miss that? He said he would increase the number of troops in Afghanistan. Did you miss that? He was brought up by rich white folks. Did you miss that?
rat4,
"He was brought up by rich white folks. Did you miss that?"
Actually I don't think "white" has anything to do with this. (Yes I know there are some horribly racist and scummy white people) The part of your sentence that rings of truth is "rich". Doesn't matter what ones skin color or ethnicity is, these rich people can never represent the average person - never.
While the majority of the worlds ultra wealthy are white (and generally old white men) its not an exclusive white club (or male for that matter) by any means and the extremely well off, regardless of their outward physical appearance all have the same mindset in that they really don't give a rats ass for the "little people".
They simply don't live in the same world we do. Private communities, exclusive private clubs, private schools, private jets, hotels that charge as much for a night as most make in a week or a month, restaurants that that would take a weeks pay for the typical family, and an army of servants and fawning staff to tend to every personal need.
These people don't vacation like typical people who go to Disneyworld or maybe if you're lucky one of those Caribbean cruises. They take private jets to exclusive resorts that you and I would never even be allowed in.
Look up the worlds richest man and you'll get an idea of what I'm saying.
There is a wink and a nod in there by Obama.
He started the onslaught against teachers with Race To The Bottom and money bribes with the states. Crass corporate factory education seems to be the model.
Obama needs to understand that not one hardworking person in a union is willing to give up savings for old age and why the hell should they? It isn’t their fault. It is scapegoating at its finest while the Wall Streeters and bankers and the rich skate. It is very undemocratic and they are only hoping that we are too busy to notice the billions going to corporate welfare. Obama is not on the side of unions or the middle class. NO Compromise from hard working people. No sharing. Tax the corporations and the rich. There is no agreement no matter how hard you try to corrupt the union bosses.
Have you seen what Obama did to his own healthcare bill today?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/us/politics/01health.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss&src=ig
Obama is just as much a lying bag of crap, or he's really stupider than a dumb and dumber story. Frankly, I think he used us, played his black ass to the hilt and probably scoffed at dumb whitey behind the door. Money thieving bastards are color blind, they just want us to be prejudice so we worry about that instead of the truth.
Agreed. He duped us all. Here's a great link to his 2007 campaign promise to walk a picket line to fight for collective bargaining. What a piece of work he is. To my shame and everlasting regret, I voted for this lying slimeball.
http://www.rawstory.com/rawreplay/2011/02/flashback-from-candidate-obama-ill-walk-the-picket-line-with-you/
How do A-holes like Walker continue to come up with such hideous barricades and ugly actions? His mind must be a jungle gym of discordant nerve synapses. He should be in a mental institution, not a governor of a state. And BOOO to the Capitol police, don't do the work of tyrants!
"And BOOO to the Capitol police, don't do the work of tyrants!"
yeah, and when the police get fired for not doing their job, are you going to pay for their health care, retirement benefits, and weekly salary?
NO. I don't think so.
Actually, it is NOT TRUE that the windows at the Capitol have been welded shut. This was a rumor that was making the rounds on Twitter earlier today but has since been debunked, along with the rumor that the windows were bolted and the bolt heads cut off.
I have spent a lot of time at the Capitol over the last two weeks, as have many people in Madison and the surrounding area. Just in the last 24 hours the previously civil and positive atmosphere that has made these protests such a joy and inspiration to be a part of has started to turn negative and hysterical. Please, carefully confirm facts before you repeat them to others, whether verbally or in print. Getting worked up over misinformation is of no help to this movement, which needs your energy and perseverance now more than ever.
Thanks for the info. I have been wondering if any reader of CD is in the crowd at the capitol. Seems to me there would be a few commenting on what is really happening, or at least giving us CD'ers some firsthand thoughts and observations.
Gov. Walker acknowleged that he had thought about bringing in troublemakers to create an incident, presumably to discredit peaceful protesters (by phone with billionaire Koch). The Gov. may be desperate as over 60 % of Wisconsinites support the protest and the right of collective bargaining for public service workers. Beware: the Governor may still resort to a planted provocation. PLEASE STAY NON-VIOLENT.
Obama and Walker agree on at least one thing, they both hate teachers' unions.
So, it looks like the police pulled the old switcheroo on people exercising their speech and assembly rights, guaranteed by the Constitution as "inalienable rights" (that is, the rights are inherently assumed and not granted or constrained by laws). In this case, the police simply lied to protesters so that they just didn't have to bother with them anymore. After all, the police got their cut from the governor, who didn't propose cutting their collective bargaining rights.
Some people here on Common Dreams may want to cut the police some slack. I read descriptions on CD that the police were courteous, etc. Well if you make $60,000 a year and get time-and-a-half overtime pay overseeing peaceful protesters, there's no need to get surly about it.
In the end, the police opted for allegiance with corrupt Republican legislators. No surprise. It's why every citizen should work to defund their local police department; stop donating to their corrupt "charities" too.
The energy of the people will be lost if channeled back into the Dems. The local Dem legislators in Wisconsin may have been on the side of the people (although they apparently fell asleep during the crucial vote), but people need a party that is much more clear about protecting civil rights and unions and opposed to security as the highest order of things. That party is not the Democratic Party. Obama's lack of interest in the affairs happening in Wisconsin should be evidence enough. As someone pointed out in this thread, Obama campaigned on supporting collective bargaining rights. So much for that.
Again, we have Fire Dog Lake interjecting itself in the debate (please find another source, CD editors). However, the strategy of Fire Dog Lake to send money to progressive Dems candidates is as futile as my brother-in-law's campaign contribution to Obama during the election of 2008. It will be a massive disappointment in the end and waste of money. People must be mindful enough to get behind a third party that represents the interests of working people. It's a long-term battle with many losses along the way, but that's the only way forward.
Thoughts_Into_Action,
"It's why every citizen should work to defund their local police department"
Are you serious? No police at all? Maybe you should come down to my little corner of the world where we have an actual gang war going on that claims so many innocent lives. Dead children, some as young as three and four years old from stray gunfire - happens here several times a year. Shoot-outs in our retail stores between gang members - nothing new here either.
Do you honestly think that if we had no police things would be better? As bad as the Los Angeles police department is, what do you really imagine L.A. to be like within a month after the police were disbanded?
Thanks, but no thanks.
class war
time to decide
on whose side
slave or slaveowner
Obama was bought and paid for so now must pay the piper,- aside from that, you can be rest assured that the Koch boys and friends are enjoying every minute of what ever negative action occurs. Like father uprisings and revolutions are their cup of tea, the reason Palin is their Queen. She praised Joe Volger and his Alaska Independant Party that intended to seperate Alaska from the lower states. Peas in a pod stick together, and that includes Scott Walker. Care about themselves, not the people. The Tea Partiers should take off their rose colored glasses and pay attention to the fake prophets who are taking them down the same road the Germans went in 1930.
looks like walker and the kochs are winning, at least for now...according to this interview, mubarak and the u.s. if not winning, are definitely not losing so far in egypt:
http://antiwar.com/radio/2011/02/26/ahmed-al-assy/
It was only a matter of time before the seeds planted by Reagan and his cronies started to yield big dividends - re: Bush/Cheney.
It stands to reason no one wants the gravy train to end until they have hoovered every last penny from the American taxpayer. All the Congresspersons are glad to help that happen.
Walker is the new Wisconsin arm of budgetary fascism financed by your local friendly corporation with funding available from any K Street locale via ANY elected Congressperson.