Wisconsin Protesters Look to Escalate

More than a thousand rallied in Madison yesterday to relight and escalate protests against Governor Scott Walker and the state’s continued attacks on Wisconsin workers.

Kicking off at noon, Firefighters Local 311 led a march in downtown Madison from the fire station up State Street and into the Capitol Square.

The Capitol is surrounded by four streets that make a square, with the Capitol smack in the middle. Activists planned to blockade the entrances to the square to stop business as usual at the Capitol.

The police had been tipped off, however, so when protesters arrived the police had cars ready at every intersection and quickly dispersed anyone attempting to block the streets.

Activists skipped that action and went right to part two.

The march headed to M&I Bank, a focal point in the Wisconsin protests because it gave money to Scott Walker’s campaign after unapologetically receiving federal bailouts. The bank continues to foreclose on working families’ homes locally as well.

Amid chants of “they got bailed out, we got sold out,” representatives from the bank quickly began closing the doors and dropping their security gate. As the crowd pressed against the door, police arrested two activists and issued citations.

The firefighters from Madison and Beloit were joined by detachments from the Teaching Assistants Association (AFT Local 3220), the Wisconsin Professional Police Association, AFSCME Local 60, and a handful of other union activists joining in solidarity.

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Close behind them was a parade of farmers on their tractors, motorcyclists, a city bus, a flatbed truck with staff from National Nurses United, and a dozen cabs from the Union Cab Cooperative.

With the bank closed, the march continued for a second lap around the square, led by a team of firefighters playing bagpipes. The motor parade attempted to block traffic by parking diagonally in the street, but was quickly cleared out by police who warned that tow trucks were on their way.

Yesterday’s actions were part of a week of activities planned to bring attention to the legislature's deliberations over the state’s budget, as well as to a hearing on Walker’s “budget repair bill” in the state Supreme Court.

The budget repair bill—which would virtually eliminate collective bargaining for most public employees in the state—has been inoperative since it passed in March, thanks to legal challenges.

The Republicans’ budget would cut public education funding by $824 million and reduce Medicaid funding by more than $500 million. Walker has already approved more than $200 million in tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy.

Saturday began with a “Walkerville” tent city erected along the square to bring attention to poverty and homelessness, and every day this week will see protests and demonstrations themed around health care, public education, democracy, economic justice and union rights.

Following three months of organizing and planning, activists are calling for direct actions to stop business and escalate the struggle.

Andrew Sernatinger is a baker and activist in Madison, Wisconsin.