A ruling from a conservative Wisconsin judge means any group that’s too large to ignore can be denied their right to free speech, protest, AND singing.
When you’re singing and clapping and folks don’t want to hear it, you might get yelled at, or someone might even try to yank you away with one of those giant?hooks from the old vaudeville routines. Especially when you sing stuff like “This Land Is Your Land” and “If I Had A Hammer.” But who knew that it might also get you arrested? Stephen C. Webster from Raw Story reports that at least 29 protesters got arrested for singing in the rotunda of Wisconsin’s state capitol building. Dozens of folks showed up, as they’ve done every?Wednesday since March, 2011, for their Solidarity Sing Along. According to their facebook page, the Madison, Wisconsin-based?group seeks to “create positive progressive change through participatory song.” They also wrote:The sing-alongs started up as the large protests and the Capitol occupation were ending. They serve to maintain a continuous progressive, pro-labor presence at the Capitol, as well as providing a place where Union members, activists, and citizens can come together and rejuvenate their spirits through song as we continue the fight against Governor Walker and his republican allies.
But for some reason, last week, Wisconsin’s GOP-led tyrants powers-that-be finally decided to gag the songbirds. When the singers showed up, they found a big sign from Wisconsin State Capitol Police declaring:
We are declaring this an unlawful event. Please move your group outside or disperse immediately. If you do not, each participant
will be turned into a toadis subject to arrest.
Because, of course, some conservative judge ruled earlier this month that groups of 20 people or more can’t demonstrate without a permit, which basically means that any group too large to ignore can be denied their right to free speech. Despite the judge’s ruling, preventing people from engaging in peaceful protest on public, tax-payer funded property can’t possibly be constitutional and probably won’t hold up in a higher court. Naturally, the dozens of folks who showed up decided to sing anyway. Things got ugly, and a man — who goes by the handle arthurkr222 caught it on video, and uploaded it to YouTube.
The video’s description reads:
After illegally declaring the peaceful demonstration an “unlawful assembly” the Wisconsin Capitol police sent out waves of officers to forcefully arrest singers petitioning their government. This video shows the illegal arrest of a USMC Vietnam vet who was standing silently in the rotunda and wasn’t under arrest when he was accused of resisting and arrested.
Here’s the video:
First, a beefy, pink-cheeked officer explained that he had to enforce the state’s permit policy.?Then the camera pans out and you see swarms of blue-clad police officers manhandling what appear to be a bunch of nice, middle-aged-and-over hippies — in particularly, an elderly?”veteran for peace”? sporting a “Veterans For Peace” tank top over blue cammo fatigues, a black baseball cap, and a purple gag to symbolize?the people not being heard. The veteran offered no resistance, yet the cops played rough with him and knocked the decorously-folded flag he?carried to the floor, as the crowd chanted, “Shame! Shame! Shame!”
Then — as if Madison’s finest couldn’t look any worse — one of the policemen?callously trod upon the fallen flag?while marching off his prisoner. A?shocked woman picked up the flag, ran forward to return it to?our beleaguered veteran, then?turned towards the camera, looking visibly shaken.
The screenshots taken from the video below tell the story in pictures:
The protesters were so angry, they returned in even greater numbers — over 100 — the following day. Now, the SSA’s facebook page has over 3,000 fans,?”thanks to Capitol Police doing our marketing for us.” On Monday, July 29th, they’re holding their sing along outside the capitol building. Apparently, “A group calling themselves The Walker Solidarity Singers has reserved the Wisconsin Capitol rotunda on Monday, July 29th from noon to one.” SSA warns:
Please do not confuse their event with the original Solidarity Sing Along, which will be held outside that day on the State Street side of the Capitol. Thanks everyone!
Though would-be protesters would probably get wise once they hear the patriotic brass band playing patriotic John DeSouza songs, and people singing Governor Walker’s praises.
Photos screen captured from arthurkr222’s YouTube video.
Edited/Published by: SB
