Scott Walker's Cops: Even Watching Means You Are Now Subject to Arrest

Wisconsin citizen holding sign inside state capitol
in the week of August 5 - Photo by Blue Cheddar

How I wish this headline were a Jonathan Swift reductio ad absurdum comment.

It's not, it's a fact.

Outrage and disgust at Republican Party grows as GOP cops now try to quell even watching, "spectating" as the circling cops say, other citizens singing.

Seriously.

"This event has been declared unlawful by the secretary (of the GOP's Wisconsin Department of Administration, Mike Huebsch,) You could be subject to arrest."


Such are the words of capitol cops, just following orders, circling the capitol warning families, children, veterans, legislators, anyone to stay away from their capitol.

It is only time before a Judge orders court-appointed marshals in to protect capitol visitors from the GOP's capitol police.

"Two journalists, Nicole Schulte and Leslie Peterson, were actually chased by police officers who tried to grab their cameras. They continued to film the arrests and were not themselves arrested. But Greg Kinsley and Jeremy Ryan were arrested for filming," reports Rebecca Kimble in The Progressive. "Every noon hour in the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda feels a little bit different. Today it felt like a prison."

Just as the GOP intends.

These warnings themselves chill and prevent the First Amendment as well as the Wisconsin Constitution; no judge would fail to toss GOP-issued citations for breathing, walking and observing at the capitol. Or singing for that matter.

And that's what this is: A Republican effort to keep non-GOP people away from the capitol.

Cops have been filmed throwing a photographer to the ground for filming an arrest. (Check the link for his thoughts.)

Think this is hyperbole. Watch this videos, as the capitol police are walking around the rotunda, harassing people for "spectating" and declaring "you could be subject to arrest."

Here is a video of a lone woman, in her young 20s, being harassed by a capitol cop for reasons surpassing comprehension.

Now, capitol officers are patrolling the capitol rotunda walking up to lawmakers, staffers, state workers and families to ensure none are there to sing or watch, or "spectate."

Susan C. writes (via Rock Netroots):
"As I was walking out of the capitol today I overheard two women, shepherding four children, aged 6-10, talking about how 'horrible it was in there today.' I turned around and engaged them. It turned out they had to leave because one of the little girls was so scared she never wanted to go back in the capitol again. I asked, 'Afraid of the singers?' Her mom looked at me like I was crazy. She said, 'No, the police.'

Here's video of a capitol cop harassing a family (they look very dangerous, especially the young man of approximately 12-dangerous-years)

Wisconsin Rep Sandy Pope (D-Middleton) was threatened with arrest at Capitol for observing the Solidarity Sing Along, reports Isthmus.

Outrage is growing:

"My friend, a fellow veteran of the war in Vietnam who has, with due diligence, generally overcome Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, fell after being handcuffed in the Capitol by Walker’s new cops (last week). My friend’s back was injured and he was taken to a hospital after this uncalled-for violence. He wasn’t physically resisting anything. He was—-he’d be the first to point this out—-politically and spiritually resisting unfairness, oppression, and intolerance. My friend has experienced those transgressions before and after his service as a decorated and wounded war veteran." 

Today through August 11 is the National Veterans For Peace Convention held in Madison. 

Look for more GOP cops to bust some veterans today for not being Republican. 

But this fight for democracy against the Republican Party has already been won by Wisconsin citizens.