Wisconsin: Guv Walker's Newest Bizarre Scheme to Stop Singers
Recommend reading the entire article. It's a nice quick summary of how we got to this point, plus an update on Damon Terrell, who was arrested this week in a violent takedown by the police.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/08/29/1234774/-Wisconsin-Guv-Walker-s-Newest-Bizarre-Scheme-to-Stop-Singers?detail=facebook#
Scott Walker has hit a laughable new low in his attempt to stop the Solidarity Sing Along, a singing protest/lovefest that has occurred every weekday at the Wisconsin State Capitol since March 11th, 2011. Walker’s administration is working with grinchy right-wing organizations to reserve the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda for bogus events in a futile attempt to ruin Christmas for the Whos down in Whoville.
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So far, the Walker administration has tried all kinds of tactics to suppress the joyous dissenters. In late 2011, they modified the Capitol Access Policy from a two page reservation form to a 25-page document that requires users to agree to all sorts of speech-chilling conditions. When singers ignored their demand to apply for a permit and sign the agreement, the Walker administration ordered its Capitol Police officers to issue hundreds of citations alleging violations of obscure sections of the Wisconsin administrative code. I received 4 of the citations last fall, including one for walking in a circle which they deemed to be disorderly conduct, and another for holding a cloth banner which they claimed was a hazardous material. Nearly all of those citations have been dismissed, and many more will be soon.
When that didn’t work, the Walker Administration declared an emergency, allowing them to temporarily modify the state administrative code and give themselves power to declare the Sing Along an “unlawful assembly.” When the singers continued to gather each day anyway, Walker ordered his palace guard to arrest singers, with handcuffs and everything, and issue them more citations. In the past few weeks they have arrested nearly 200 people, including working journalists covering the story, members of Veterans for Peace, numerous Raging Grannies wearing big hats and colorful aprons, at least two minors, school board members, firefighters, and other peaceful singers.
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Obviously, nothing is working for the Walker administration in their attempts to kill off the peaceful and legal dissent, so now we see their latest brilliant scheme. They know the singers politely move outside when another event has been scheduled inside the building, so they have convinced their nutty allies to take out permits, denying the space to the Sing Along (and to any other group that might want to use the space.) In an attempt to “trap” the singers for public relations purposes, they don’t announce the event on their website until the day before, or sometimes not at all, hoping to cause confusion and a confrontation when people arrive for the Sing Along. Nice, huh?
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