Photos by HNG
Protesters on Saturday now concentrating on recalling 8 Senate Republicans and Governor Walker.
By H. Nelson Goodson
March 12, 2011
Madison - On Saturday, more than 150,000 pro-worker rights demonstrators converged at the Madison Capitol square as a united front to push for a recall of 8 Senate Republicans and Governor Scott Walker (R) in nine months. Most of the demonstrators carried different versions of signs saying "Recall Walker."
In January, Walker completes one year in office. The 8 Republicans are being recalled for their move to pass a modified budget repair bill that eliminated collective bargaining for most state workers. Walker signed the bill into law last Friday after the House Republicans passed it as well.
Word circulating at the Capitol is that former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D) plans to run for governor once Governor Scott Walker (R) gets recalled.
The state Department of Administration first estimated the crowds as 65,000 before noon and later Madison Police estimated between 85,000 to 100,000 demonstrators, but around 3:00 p.m. the numbers grew to 150,000. The gathering on Saturday was the largest since the protests began at the Capitol 26 days ago. The huge numbers made people walk shoulder to shoulder and the crowds were so intense that in some areas in the square, the human traffic came to a halt.
The demonstrators gave a heroes welcome to 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state as a tactical move to stall Walker's budget repair bill that stripped collective bargaining for most state workers. Their self imposed exile allowed people in Wisconsin to become aware that the real motive for Governor Walker and the Republican controlled legislature was to bust unions.
More than 30 farmers drove their tractors around the Capitol square in protest of Walker's bill, which he signed into law eliminating most workers rights to bargain. The law takes affect once the Secretary of State publishes it.
Also participating in the demonstrations was Voces de la Frontera from Milwaukee, a worker rights advocacy organization. Voces sponsored 13 buses that took nearly 1,000 Latinos and non-Latinos to join the protests against Governor Walker's attack on union worker rights, major cuts on education, repealing in-state tuition for undocumented students attending universities or colleges and the civil rights of immigrants in Wisconsin.
Several House Republicans began circulating an anti-immigrant bill for the state. The anti-immigrant bill sponsored by Representative Donald Pridemore (R) allows for police to detain a suspected illegal immigrant in Wisconsin for 48 hours and immigrants have to reimburse counties for their detention at jails. Police could turn illegal immigrants to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement before being charged or after they are convicted of a traffic violation or crime. (Copy of Pridemore's Wisconsin illegal immigration bill (PDF) at link: http://bit.ly/eyjCGo).
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Protesters on Saturday now concentrating on recalling 8 Senate Republicans and Governor Walker.
By H. Nelson Goodson
March 12, 2011
Madison - On Saturday, more than 150,000 pro-worker rights demonstrators converged at the Madison Capitol square as a united front to push for a recall of 8 Senate Republicans and Governor Scott Walker (R) in nine months. Most of the demonstrators carried different versions of signs saying "Recall Walker."
In January, Walker completes one year in office. The 8 Republicans are being recalled for their move to pass a modified budget repair bill that eliminated collective bargaining for most state workers. Walker signed the bill into law last Friday after the House Republicans passed it as well.
Word circulating at the Capitol is that former U.S. Senator Russ Feingold (D) plans to run for governor once Governor Scott Walker (R) gets recalled.
The state Department of Administration first estimated the crowds as 65,000 before noon and later Madison Police estimated between 85,000 to 100,000 demonstrators, but around 3:00 p.m. the numbers grew to 150,000. The gathering on Saturday was the largest since the protests began at the Capitol 26 days ago. The huge numbers made people walk shoulder to shoulder and the crowds were so intense that in some areas in the square, the human traffic came to a halt.
The demonstrators gave a heroes welcome to 14 Senate Democrats who fled the state as a tactical move to stall Walker's budget repair bill that stripped collective bargaining for most state workers. Their self imposed exile allowed people in Wisconsin to become aware that the real motive for Governor Walker and the Republican controlled legislature was to bust unions.
More than 30 farmers drove their tractors around the Capitol square in protest of Walker's bill, which he signed into law eliminating most workers rights to bargain. The law takes affect once the Secretary of State publishes it.
Also participating in the demonstrations was Voces de la Frontera from Milwaukee, a worker rights advocacy organization. Voces sponsored 13 buses that took nearly 1,000 Latinos and non-Latinos to join the protests against Governor Walker's attack on union worker rights, major cuts on education, repealing in-state tuition for undocumented students attending universities or colleges and the civil rights of immigrants in Wisconsin.
Several House Republicans began circulating an anti-immigrant bill for the state. The anti-immigrant bill sponsored by Representative Donald Pridemore (R) allows for police to detain a suspected illegal immigrant in Wisconsin for 48 hours and immigrants have to reimburse counties for their detention at jails. Police could turn illegal immigrants to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement before being charged or after they are convicted of a traffic violation or crime. (Copy of Pridemore's Wisconsin illegal immigration bill (PDF) at link: http://bit.ly/eyjCGo).
State Representative JoCasta Zamarripa (D-Milwaukee) and Bethany Ordaz, her legislative aid.
Primitivo Torres from Voces leads 1,000 people into a march joining the tens of thousands of demonstrators marching around the Madison Capitol square.
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