Wisconsin fights back with delight

You may wonder how Wisconsinites are surviving the oppression and abuse being heaped upon us by the Walker Administration. The answer is that we're surviving with humor, song and downright stubbornness.

Since the recall election on June 5th, the Capitol Police have appeared to be trying to intimidate those of us who continue to show up at our state Capitol. They have challenged citizens, asking why they are there (in the public space), and they have started keeping notes about the participants in the daily Solidarity Sing Along and other citizen actions. Thanks to zoom lenses, we saw what information was being documented in the officers' notes, and we decided to help them along.

Part of what they were writing down was the text and description of signs held by activists, so we thought it would be nice for the officers to write apologies for the violations that they have committed against us throughout the last 17 months. We did some brainstorming, and showed up today with signs of apologies to individuals who had been hurt or wronged by the Capitol Police. The apologies were "signed" with the police officers' names. The cops had caught wind of some sort of action in the works, and I think they were concerned that there would be conflict. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A few of us are greeting one of the Capitol Police Officers who is charged with copying down the text of our signs. The "Palace Guard" sign is being held by the young man who is depicted in the image. He was arrested last year, and carried face down while handcuffed. [font size = 1]Photo by Leslie Amsterdam[/font size]

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We had about a dozen "apology theme signs," and as always, there were additional signs and banners that have been made by people for the daily Solidarity Sing Along, of which this was #400. Four hundred times we have gathered - sometimes large groups, sometimes small - but we have been there every weekday, singing songs of solidarity and peace.

All of us standing along the railings on the first and second floors of the Capitol are in the areas where people were arrested for holding signs last year. Walker's Department of Administration had decided that the ground floor was the designated "Demonstration Area," and they have issued hundreds of citations for holding signs in other parts of the rotunda.We have fought to protect our First Amendment rights. We have gained ground, and we will hold it. [font size = 1]Photo by Leslie Amsterdam[/font size]

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I could write for hours about the individuals and about each struggle and victory that we have faced. But I'll leave that to others,
http://monologuesofdissent.blogspot.com/2012/06/call-to-action-400th-solidarity-sing.html , for one, and just let you know that we are here, we are proud, we are kind, smart and funny, and we are NOT GOING AWAY.

SOLIDARITY