Solidarity Sing Along - Milwaukee Style

As advertised, AFSCME District Council hosted a fundraiser for the Solidarity Sing Along on Saturday.  The purpose of the fundraiser was to assist with legal costs, open record requests and other necessities for the people that would participate in the Solidarity Sing Along in or around the Capitol Building, who are being made political prisoners by presidential wannabe Scott Walker and his henchmen.

The turnout was good and we netted more than $4,500 to help with the fight against their political persecution, the most raised by a single event for the Sing Along.

Here are some pictures that I took of the day's event:

There is no mistake where the union stands.

The official SSA t-shirt

Lane Hall of the OLB and Trenchant "I solemnly swear I am
up to no good" Tracey

Get yer SSA t-shirts and bumper stickers!

Intermission between singalongs

DC 48 Executive Director Boyd McCamish
speaks to the crowd.

Rep. Evan Goyke prepares to speak to the group.

The ever fabulous Kelly Albrecht

Sing Along!

Unintimidated: The Book
Coming October 31st

Rep. LaTonya Johnson and some union thug.

Marty Beil tells us how to be a union thug.

It's Milwaukee! Gotta have the brats!

But we also have a taste of Madison with Ian's Pizza

Those dreaded union bosses: Biel, McCamish and
Phil Neuenfeldt of the AFL-CIO

#unintimidated

AFSCME President Lee Saunders To Join Solidarity Singalong On Wednesday

Good news from the inbox:

AFSCME Sisters and Brothers,

Wisconsin citizens launched the biggest public uprising in state history when Scott Walker

“dropped the bomb” on worker rights.

The spirit of that uprising continues today.

It lives on in our hearts and it rings out daily in our state Capitol, thanks to the Solidarity Sing Along.
Even as Walker directs his palace guard to arrest grannies, veterans, firefighters and union members for the “crime” of singing – songs of freedom continue to ring out, just as they have every weekday since March of 2011.

On Wednesday, AFSCME International Pres. Lee Saunders will join the Capitol chorus.

Pres. Saunders will deliver a strong reminder that the whole nation is watching.

And as our union has shown all along, Pres. Saunders will demonstrate once again that we are never alone in the fight to win back our rights.

Wednesday’s noon hour Sing Along is outside the Capitol on the State Street steps.

As always, all are welcome.   And it would be especially great to have a sea of green shirts welcoming Lee Saunders back to Wisconsin.

Come sing.  And bring your best green t-shirt!

In solidarity,

Jim Garity, President
AFSCME Council 40
Paulette Feld, President
AFSCME Council 24
Brian Stafford, President
AFSCME Council 48

And speaking of AFSCME and the Solidarity Singalong, don't forget that Milwaukee's own Council 48 will be hosting a fund raiser for the SSA fund on Saturday, September 28:

Gov. Scott Walker and his new capitol police chief may not like them, but the Solidarity Singers deserve your support. They’ve been gathering each weekday in the Capitol (you know, the People’s House, the one that Walker would like to sell off to a corporation) and singing protest songs ever since Walker tried to bust public employee unions. This summer, they decided to ignore a judge’s ruling that requires groups of 20 or more to get a permit. Why? Because they don’t believe that Americans must get a permit from the very government they are trying to protest.

Not surprisingly, Walker et al. have ordered a clampdown. 

Which is why AFSCME DC 48’s Sept. 28 Solidarity Sing-Along Fundraiser deserves your support. 

The suggested minimum contribution is $10 per person, which includes complimentary food and drink. Proceeds will go to the defense fund of the singers and protesters. 

See you there!

Vicky McKenna Hates Capitalism

By Jeff Simpson

Today, someone(I really have no idea who, nor do I really care) showed up at the noon time Solidarity Singalong dressed as Bucky Badger.    (H/T Lisa Wells for the photo)



Yes Bucky just wants to "Let Freedom Sing".   Now it  does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that it is a fake Bucky.   Anyone who has had even a passing interest in the University of Wisconsin - Madison or Badger Athletics could tell in a matter of seconds.   My ten year old son figured it out from seeing it on my computer screen a few feet away!


However, no one will ever describe Vicki Mckenna and her followers as rocket scientists.  Heck no one will ever accuse her of telling the truth either, but thats another blog! So of course the righties thought it was real:

@UWMadison @MSpicuzzaWSJ @UWBuckyBadger looked real to me! Kids thought it was real too! Photo ops and all! #wiunion @VickiMcKenna
— Tamra Varebrook (@TamraTellsIt) September 9, 2013

Nope Ms. Vicky and her loyal followers all had what could best be described as a Conniption fit. 

LEFTWING UNITED WISCONSIN promoting TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT of 'Bucky Badger' to promote capitol harassment.#wiright pic.twitter.com/Dei5eZ6A6m
— Vicki Mckenna (@VickiMcKenna) September 9, 2013

Now the small Government, free market fiscal conservatives want to end Halloween?   They want the corporations to be able to dictate where and when you can wear the products that you purchase or what you make of materials you buy?   why of course they do if it fits their political purpose!

Halloween is now a $7 BILLION business and the righties are trying to end it because someone dressed up as Bucky Badger and sang in the Capitol.      

Look Out Sesame Street, if Chief Erwin ever finds his way there:

In Scott Walker's never ending quest to raise money for his presidential run and spend as much time and taxpayer money that he has not been to Las Vegas yet:





I can see the Capitol Police charging these two wanted thugs now.   I also wonder if Vicki Mckenna has ever attended Comic Con? If so, she would probably be there trying to get Kevin Binversie arrested:




 Yes people in America have been dressing up in costumes for years, many of them home made, and now Vicki Mckenna and her minions have a problem with it?  

Apparently not everyone can wrap themselves in the Flag....







             


We know that if Vicki Pyzinski is anything, she is consistent.  She would not tolerate anyone dressing up at "tea parties"  



Like I always say, when they show us their true colors, we should pay attention!  

Thank You, Seattle!

A few days ago, I pointed out some civic-minded folks in Seattle were planning on protesting Scott Walker when he went to their state for a fundraiser.  And protest him they did, in the form of a Solidarity Singalong:



We wouldn't want Walker to get too homesick, y'know.

Fundraiser for Solidarity Sing Along - Milwaukee AFSCME Style

It is with immense pride and pleasure that I get to inform the gentle reader that AFSCME District Council 48 - the one in Milwaukee and to which I am a proud member in good standing - is hosting a fund raiser for the Solidarity Sing Along on September 28th.

From the Facebook event page:

Since the uprising of the capitol occupation during ACT10, folks have been coming together during the noon lunch hour at the state capitol to let democracy sing. Governor Walker doesn't believe in the 1st or 4th amendment right. Since July 24th the capitol police have been arresting participates and observers of the sing-along. On August 21st the arrests escalated, the capitol police aggressively arrested two activists.

This has gone on for long enough and we want to do our part and raise funds for the 1st amendment defense fund for all the arrestees. We are asking for a minimum contribution of $10 per person (food & drink included).  All the proceeds will go towards the 1st amendment defenses fund, to contribute online via PayPal check out
http://solidaritysingalong.org/  (we are asking those that do contribute via PayPal please leave a comment or contribute $10.48 for this event) We want to make sure we have an accurate count of those who contribute online.

Join us on September 28th at the AFSCME union hall
located at 3427 W. Saint Paul Ave 1pm - 4pm

We hope to see you there, for more information and to contribute please contact Nicole at ncoll-san@wiafscme.org or (414) 344-6868

Here is video footage of the arrests on August 21st, 2013 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVSiwtPnoH8

I heard from Boyd McCamish, Executive Director of AFSCME DC 48, that there will be participants of SSA present to tell us their stories and grace us with their singing.  I am really looking forward to it!

Sometimes, like this, I can't be any more proud of wearing of the AFSCME green.

I hope to see you there!

Anonymous Has A Message For Scott Walker

With no further comment:

Attorneys Representing Capitol Dissidents Deplore Capitol Police Brutality and Racial Profiling

From the inbox (edited only to provide hyperlink for video at the end)::

Two well publicized arrests of African Americans at the Solidarity Sing Along August 26 in the Wisconsin State Capitol showed Capitol Police officers using excessive force and pain compliance techniques. Christopher (C.J.) Terrell’s arms were wrenched behind him and police applied to pressure to the front and side of his neck to immobilize him, after he sat down during his arrest, then he was dragged out with arms pinned behind him. Six officers tackled Damon Terrell, pinned him to the marble rotunda floor, twisted his wrist, and carried him out in a prone position face down; he was later charged with felony assault of an officer although he appears to be the victim. On August 21 a young woman was arrested using pain compliance as well.

Attorney Jeff Scott Olson, who represents some of the cited activists, said, “Efforts to seek injunctive relief in court against these unlawful police tactics have been contemplated for some time, but have been on the back burner awaiting developments on other fronts. It's pretty clear we have to put them on the front burner now, before someone gets seriously hurt."

Observers have noted that the only disturbance or threat to the public safety at the daily Sing Along occurs when Capitol Police emerge to arrest participants. Many participants and spectators were shocked by the degree of physical force used by four to six officers against the Terrells Tuesday and Emily Hoppe last Wednesday. All have been present at recent noontime Sing Alongs along with renewed attendance by union members, teachers, police and fire fighters.

According to attorneys who represent many of the more than 140 people arrested since July 24, the defendants have generally been polite and cooperative, and use of handcuffs and physical force has been far out of proportion to what police need to issue a civil forfeiture ticket. Most people arrested have been charged with participating in an “unlawful assembly” under the Wisconsin Administrative Code, which is not a crime and carries a maximum fine of $500.00. However an increasingly younger and more diverse crowd has turned up the volume and energy of the two and a half year old singing event in response to the July and August “crackdown.”

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker was taped during a fake phone call from “David Koch” in February 2011considering planting provocateurs to instigate violence to discredit opponents during the protests that gave rise to the Sing Along. Activists now speculate that the Capitol Police use of force in arrests may be a deliberate attempt to provoke a violent reaction for a public disturbed by the sight of mass arrests for peaceful protests.

Video of the events, showing excessive use of force by police officers, is available here.

When Violating Constitutional Rights Just Isn't Enough

As the gentle reader is fully aware, for two and a half years, a loose group of people would gather at the state capitol every workday at noon to sing songs of solidarity.  For two and a half years, this has occurred without incident.

Then, a few months ago, the new commandant of the capitol cops, Dave Erwin, got a very large raise, even though it was done through unethical means.

Suddenly - in what is surely coincidental timing with Scott Walker revving up his campaigns - arrests started happening.  Dear Leader could not be made to look bad by having some discontents breaking up the day singing about such frivolities such as equality and solidarity and unions and respect.

Such rubbish!

So Kapitol Kop Kommandant Erwin started the arrest.  He arrested grannies.  He arrested vets.  He arrested children.  He arrested ACLU members.  He arrested mothers.  He arrested firefighters.

But the singers remained unintimidated.  In fact, not only did singers keep coming to the capitol, they came in greater and greater numbers.  And as their numbers and their resilience grew, so did the national attention.

Now Erwin and his jackboots have taken it to an even lower, more reprehensible level.  They have started using violence.

As most rational people would agree, the use of force against someone for singing - especially when the law actually would call for the issue of a citation - is absurd.  But it's not even that good.  They are physically attacking observers.  Note the man's camera in his hand before the cops jump him:



In this video by Rebecca Kemble, one can see the cops needlessly using compliance holds against another peaceful person:



Did you notice something else about the two men being physically accosted?

They are both black.

That's apparently just too much uppitiness for Walker and Erwin to handle.

As Walker gets more desperate to be president, how long do you think it will take for him to build gulags, er, private prisons, to hold all these scofflaws that think they still have rights?

Walker might think he is unintimidated.  But in reality, he and his pet police chief are merely unacceptable and unmitigated fascists.