Wisconsin People Power!
Portrait of Protesters
Portrait of Protesters
by Laura Salinger
I recently attended a story time with a group of children who gathered in a
circle to listen to books like “Mabela the Clever” retold by Margaret Read
MacDonald and “Five Creatures” by Emily Jenkins. Children’s artwork lined the
walls, adults passed out snacks to children, and parents cuddled up with their
little ones to listen to books read by organizers and “book lovers” Megan
Schliesman, Jen Scott Curwood, and Dawnene Hassett. I wasn’t at a library or a
school; I was at Wisconsin’s Capitol Building. The area where we gathered was
a designated child respite area (organized by protesters at the Capitol); a place
where children and their parents could take a break from the large rallies in the
Capitol Rotunda and outside, get some food, change diapers, and get warm.
There is a lot of heated opinions and plenty of news accounts surrounding
the recent events in Madison, Wis. (and that is undoubtedly an understatement)
where Governor Scott Walker’s controversial Budget Repair Bill-that would strip
public workers of their collective bargaining rights (among other things)-has drew
massive protests. There is support for the tens of thousands of protesters and
also ire towards them. I, myself, have tallied seven days at the Capitol. Whether
you agree with the protesters or not, this is my humble attempt (I could not
possibly do it justice) to share a little bit about the ad-hoc community that has
sprouted up in and around the Capitol.
One of my friends recently described the rally at Wisconsin’s capitol this past
Saturday (Feb. 26) as a “love-fest.” It was tongue-in-cheek (maybe, kind-of) but
there is definitely something to be said for that affectionate description. The mood
of the people and the way they are caring for each other has been something to
see indeed. I, or my 11-year-old, have been offered apples, brats, homemade
cookies, bags of crackers, water, and, of course, pizza. I have been approached
by numerous individuals carrying garbage bags asking if I had trash I needed to
dispose of. I have seen strangers dancing together to the beat of a drum or a
recording of the Black Eyed Peas. At a 3 p.m. rally outside of the capitol on Feb.
26, the crowd (estimated by the Madison Police Department as over 70,000 and
by others as over 100,000) stopped, put their hands over their hearts and sang
the Star Spangled Banner. I have seen people willing to sleep on the cold, hard
floors of our Capitol night after night then head to work the next day. I have seen
many smiles and many tears. This is the scene on the ground.
“I've made it a point to go to the Capitol almost every day for the past two
weeks,” says co-story time organizer Megan Schliesman (who does not belong to
I recently attended a story time with a group of children who gathered in a
circle to listen to books like “Mabela the Clever” retold by Margaret Read
MacDonald and “Five Creatures” by Emily Jenkins. Children’s artwork lined the
walls, adults passed out snacks to children, and parents cuddled up with their
little ones to listen to books read by organizers and “book lovers” Megan
Schliesman, Jen Scott Curwood, and Dawnene Hassett. I wasn’t at a library or a
school; I was at Wisconsin’s Capitol Building. The area where we gathered was
a designated child respite area (organized by protesters at the Capitol); a place
where children and their parents could take a break from the large rallies in the
Capitol Rotunda and outside, get some food, change diapers, and get warm.
There is a lot of heated opinions and plenty of news accounts surrounding
the recent events in Madison, Wis. (and that is undoubtedly an understatement)
where Governor Scott Walker’s controversial Budget Repair Bill-that would strip
public workers of their collective bargaining rights (among other things)-has drew
massive protests. There is support for the tens of thousands of protesters and
also ire towards them. I, myself, have tallied seven days at the Capitol. Whether
you agree with the protesters or not, this is my humble attempt (I could not
possibly do it justice) to share a little bit about the ad-hoc community that has
sprouted up in and around the Capitol.
One of my friends recently described the rally at Wisconsin’s capitol this past
Saturday (Feb. 26) as a “love-fest.” It was tongue-in-cheek (maybe, kind-of) but
there is definitely something to be said for that affectionate description. The mood
of the people and the way they are caring for each other has been something to
see indeed. I, or my 11-year-old, have been offered apples, brats, homemade
cookies, bags of crackers, water, and, of course, pizza. I have been approached
by numerous individuals carrying garbage bags asking if I had trash I needed to
dispose of. I have seen strangers dancing together to the beat of a drum or a
recording of the Black Eyed Peas. At a 3 p.m. rally outside of the capitol on Feb.
26, the crowd (estimated by the Madison Police Department as over 70,000 and
by others as over 100,000) stopped, put their hands over their hearts and sang
the Star Spangled Banner. I have seen people willing to sleep on the cold, hard
floors of our Capitol night after night then head to work the next day. I have seen
many smiles and many tears. This is the scene on the ground.
“I've made it a point to go to the Capitol almost every day for the past two
weeks,” says co-story time organizer Megan Schliesman (who does not belong to
a union). “The spirit is incredible--it gives me faith and hope in the citizens of our democracy in a way unlike any other I've
experienced, and it's not just because of the way everyone is united around a cause but the way we have organized and
cooperated in doing so. I think every visit I (have) spotted something new--whether it was the emergence of things like the
first aid, food, and family areas…to the incredible buoyancy of the drummers, musicians, and cheerleaders at the center of
the Rotunda.”
“It has been a beautiful, peaceful, and humor-filled last two weeks,” says protester Amy Schmidt. “The good has been
brought out in so many people.”
The protesters aren’t the only ones impressed at the Capitol.
Madison Police Department spokesman Joel DeSpain recently said, “What we do know is that it is one of the largest
protests in Wisconsin history. And it's the largest sustained protest we've ever seen in Madison since the Vietnam War.
And there were absolutely no problems. Democracy took place and we had absolutely no problems."
Madison Police Chief Noble Wray has echoed this sentiment on numerous occasions, applauding both the decorum
of the protestors and his officers.
“Crowd behavior has been exemplary, and thousands of Wisconsin citizens are to be commended for the peaceful
ways in which they have expressed First Amendment rights," Chief Wray said.
In a Feb. 24 blog, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz offers, “Our police department estimates that maybe a half million
people have come through the Capitol Square in the last ten days. They've come with high emotions, and there have been
counter protesters. So you might expect trouble. Instead, what we've gotten is high civic engagement and peaceful protest.”
Going beyond the fact that there has been little trouble, is the fact that there has been a large degree of grassroots
organizing to keep the protests viable, energized, and peaceful. Protesters are working to make sure that the Capitol
(inside and out) stays clean, that people stay fed and hydrated, and that everyone stay safe and healthy (this includes
medic areas and bottles of hand sanitizers through out.)
Area stores have also done their part. At Capitol Kids, a children’s clothing and toy store on the Capitol Square,
protesters were able to go inside and warm up, use the bathroom while also grabbing some water (thanks to a supporter
from California whose donation paid for 960 bottles.) Signs on several other businesses around the Capitol Square
(including Capitol Kids) express the sentiment that they are with the public workers of Wisconsin and their supporters.
These past few weeks have given quite a make-over to our Capitol that has become, in some of the protester’s
words, “the people’s house.” It does, at times, appear like a mini-city functioning and caring for its citizens needs.
Firefighters, police officers (on-duty doing their jobs, off-duty protesting), teachers, nurses, social workers, small business
owners, snow plow drivers, garbage collectors, plumbers, public and private workers alike have moved in and created a
community that, whether you agree with them or not, have exercised their First Amendment Rights with stamina, decorum,
and plenty of levity.
experienced, and it's not just because of the way everyone is united around a cause but the way we have organized and
cooperated in doing so. I think every visit I (have) spotted something new--whether it was the emergence of things like the
first aid, food, and family areas…to the incredible buoyancy of the drummers, musicians, and cheerleaders at the center of
the Rotunda.”
“It has been a beautiful, peaceful, and humor-filled last two weeks,” says protester Amy Schmidt. “The good has been
brought out in so many people.”
The protesters aren’t the only ones impressed at the Capitol.
Madison Police Department spokesman Joel DeSpain recently said, “What we do know is that it is one of the largest
protests in Wisconsin history. And it's the largest sustained protest we've ever seen in Madison since the Vietnam War.
And there were absolutely no problems. Democracy took place and we had absolutely no problems."
Madison Police Chief Noble Wray has echoed this sentiment on numerous occasions, applauding both the decorum
of the protestors and his officers.
“Crowd behavior has been exemplary, and thousands of Wisconsin citizens are to be commended for the peaceful
ways in which they have expressed First Amendment rights," Chief Wray said.
In a Feb. 24 blog, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz offers, “Our police department estimates that maybe a half million
people have come through the Capitol Square in the last ten days. They've come with high emotions, and there have been
counter protesters. So you might expect trouble. Instead, what we've gotten is high civic engagement and peaceful protest.”
Going beyond the fact that there has been little trouble, is the fact that there has been a large degree of grassroots
organizing to keep the protests viable, energized, and peaceful. Protesters are working to make sure that the Capitol
(inside and out) stays clean, that people stay fed and hydrated, and that everyone stay safe and healthy (this includes
medic areas and bottles of hand sanitizers through out.)
Area stores have also done their part. At Capitol Kids, a children’s clothing and toy store on the Capitol Square,
protesters were able to go inside and warm up, use the bathroom while also grabbing some water (thanks to a supporter
from California whose donation paid for 960 bottles.) Signs on several other businesses around the Capitol Square
(including Capitol Kids) express the sentiment that they are with the public workers of Wisconsin and their supporters.
These past few weeks have given quite a make-over to our Capitol that has become, in some of the protester’s
words, “the people’s house.” It does, at times, appear like a mini-city functioning and caring for its citizens needs.
Firefighters, police officers (on-duty doing their jobs, off-duty protesting), teachers, nurses, social workers, small business
owners, snow plow drivers, garbage collectors, plumbers, public and private workers alike have moved in and created a
community that, whether you agree with them or not, have exercised their First Amendment Rights with stamina, decorum,
and plenty of levity.