Yes, it has come to this.
The Solidarity Sing Along has been a noon-hour fixture in the capitol rotunda since it first began in March of 2011.
The crackdown on the singers, however, began two weeks ago when Gov. Scott Walker announced that protesters need a permit for their actions in the capitol. Wednesday's arrests bring the number of citations to over 140.
The protesters say they do have their permit - it's the Constitution, and say it's time for people across the country to take back their capitols.
"This is the culmination of a two-and-a-half-year struggle for free speech. We’ve been in a struggle with the Walker administration that’s attempted to put a Capitol access policy in place that restricts people’s use of the people’s house as a forum for free speech," said protester Steve Burns.
"And so this latest escalation includes arresting people and then citing us for a violation of the permit policy of the Walker administration. We see sing-alongs popping up in other places. We’ve heard there’s a Michigan sing-along; there’s a Texas sing-along. People need to reclaim their state capitols. There are states that have even more restrictive laws than we have, and it’s time that the people take back their capitols as the people’s house," continued Burns.
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/08/06-10 Repression is afraid of singers - and a song
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http://youtu.be/No2cjaNZ98M America 2013: Arresting grannies
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http://youtu.be/8kd_sWRsphE America 2013: Arresting old war veterans
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http://youtu.be/h0122lU41lc The most powerful weapon today in America beside courage and conviction is that camera or iphone we're holding up to record EVERYTHING.
The price of a song: $200.50
BUT we know that FREE SPEECH is PRICELESS
KEEP RECORDING EVERYTHING!
These are some of the most powerful moments in American socio-political history since the Civil Rights struggle. There's no violence. There's only a song - and singers who sing it. Like the Civil Rights movement.
And they're afraid of that. Of course, they are. They are terrified. That's why they crack down.
Tell that lady cop and her colleagues they're not getting any bonus for being henchmen/women of repression. And when they're dumped by this scared and repressive government in WI, they are welcome to the right side of history.
This is as apple pie as apple pie gets. GO MADISON, WI!!!
I'm so proud to be an American when I log an event like this.
Keep' em coming!
In solidarity.
PS: Scott Walker: YOU LOSE.