Photo via Jenna Pope aka @BatmanWI
Yesterday was quite eventful in light of the hundreds of Wisconsin 'Solidarity Singers' flooding the Capitol rotunda to specifically break the unconstitutional restrictions on freedom of speech that Governor Walker is attempting to implement.
John Nichols described it as a "giant success", and unsurprisingly, social media was integral in getting the word out given the absence of mainstream media. This made me that much more proud to help out in the #WIsing action however I could from afar.
Yet this is no time to rest on any laurels, as Scott Walker explicitly hired a Rove protege as a Department of Administration (DOA) spokesperson to help him out of this mess, and we must be equally diligent in the seriousness with which we respond.
I'm likewise assuming that Jocelyn Webster could get a story framed however which way she wants on Fox News at the drop of a hat, putting the onus on us to make sure that we keep Walker on the defensive instead of letting the Rovian tactics of attacking an opponents' strengths succeed.
In this vein, I am happy to see that the Solidarity Sing Along appears to be taking this with the upmost seriousness, as seen in the time allotted to strategizing that they have in the schedule they just posted on the Solidarity Sing Along Facebook page:
Tuesday: Sing Along, noon, rotunda
Wednesday: Sing Along, noon, outside
.
Special Meeting (see note below), 1:15-2:15, GAR, 4th Floor North, Capitol
Thursday: Sing Along, noon, rotunda
Afternoon Sing Along, 4:30, rotunda
Friday: Sing Along, noon, outside
As per the 'special meeting' tomorrow, here is the post with details referenced above, where "the main focus of the meeting will be to discuss our current legal standing and possible strategies for moving forward."
This discussion couldn't be more important as such, especially since Rove's inner circle is helping make decisions for Walker.
Moreover, Madison's ABC affiliate is reporting that the requirement for "permits for Capitol protests may never be enforced", citing Webster herself:
DOA Spokesperson Jocelyn Webster reiterated the agency's stance today that no arrests will be made for violating the policy.
Webster said that if someone is holding an event without a permit, they will be given a permit application and strongly encouraged to apply, but that Capitol Police will take no action beyond that.
I'm sure that the Walker administration would like nothing more than to be able to place restrictions on freedom of speech in such a manner in which no arrests would be necessary. Currently, this has led to a situation where a Madison Capitol Police officer described that “We have no enforcement strategy.”
But considering that Occupy Madison has set its sites on holding defiantly against the Governor who pretty much officially declared class war against the 99%, I doubt that the Walker administration and the 1% at large will be so lucky as to be able to just let this stand.