Wisconsin Solidarity Schooled Scott Walker's Cops and Dave Cieslewicz

Solidarity Sing Along

Now that Scott Walker's cops have been put in their place by the Wisconsin community; viz: Walking, talking and observing is not grounds for arrest no matter what David Erwin, Walker's cop-in-chief believes, it's worth noting who in Madison besides Walker and Erwin blew this one.

Madison's ex-Mayor, Dave Cieslewicz screwed up again.

Cieslewicz has been hostile to the Solidarity Sing Along since 2011.

Faced with Walker and Erwin's escalating assault against free speech, Cieslewicz wrote in late July: "So, the singers had a couple of options. They could have kept their numbers below twenty or they could have gotten a permit. They chose to do neither I guess out of a sense of some sort of principle."

In a constitutional democracy, there are many more things in heaven and earth than dreamt of in Cieslewicz' politics.

Three points:

The singers are an organic group; no one knows who is going to show up. Often, it's just families with children watching and listening to the singing for a few minutes, applauding, laughing and passing through. Erwin of course wanted to arrest them too.

The second point is that Cieslewicz knows perfectly well the organic nature of this ever-changing group, in a word. Folks believe they have the right to walk to the capitol, express their thoughts and leave. This is what Cieslewicz derides as "some sort of principle."

Finally, Cieslewicz also knows perfectly well that if some other group has an event the singers will move outside and sing songs, a fact ignored by GOP media such as the Wisconsin State Journal ... and Cieslewicz.

As Republicans, with some rhetorical help from Cieslewicz, continue their appalling effort to cleanse Wisconsin history of the capitol as an open space, the people's cultural and political gathering area, one wonders what Cieslewicz has in mind for his next run at public office. 
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Just how around-the-bend were Erwin and Walker's cops?

See Officer Michael J. Syphard grab videographer Arthur Kohl-Riggs and throw him to the ground and inexplicably scream at him. Cieslewicz finds Kohl-Riggs "annoying," just as Syphard apparently does.

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.

Here's Video of What Wisconsin Capitol Police Find Acceptable

David Erwin - A disgrace

Update II: Rebecca Kimble's coverage in The Progressive of this crime is aces.

Update: We just phoned our state representative requesting a public statement condemning what is happening outside of our collective legislators' offices. This bunch of sworn police officers appear to be free of ethics, commitment to a democratic republic, and not a lack of restraint but rather an active and abiding hostility towards our citizenry. Please consider phoning your state representatives today. See Wisconsin State Reps, and Wisconsin State Senators for quick contact info.

The video below shows an appalling incident committed by Officer Michael J. Syphard within feet and full view of children, as clearly shown.

Time to go federal with a civil rights complaint against these, and let's be honest, punks in uniform. This bunch would do better gang-banging, kind of like their doing now.

"Capitol Police Chief David Erwin exhibits (appalling) judgment in allowing Officer Michael J. Syphard grab(ing) videographer Arthur Kohl-Riggs and (throwing) him to the ground without any kind of warning or request to move," for filming.

"According to on-line court records, last year Syphard was charged with the crimes of Disorderly Conduct (a misdemeanor) and Intimidate Victim/Use or Attempt Force (a felony). Those records indicate that he entered a guilty plea to the Disorderly Conduct charge and the other charge was dismissed. Records indicate that his case remains open, having been referred to the Deferred Prosecution Program," the Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative reports.

Suggestion: At the 42-second mark of this video, someone with screenshot capability should capture this instant as the children stand there staring open-mouthed, agasp at this crime.

Commenting by trolls is disabled; don't bother again.

Wisconsin Under Scott Walker: A Snapshot

Wisconsin citizen holding sign inside state capitol
Photo by Blue Cheddar

Update: "Officer Michael J. Syphard grabbed videographer Arthur Kohl-Riggs and threw him to the ground without any kind of warning or request to move," for filming. Look, assholes like Syphard feel empowered this is acceptable, and it is ... to Republicans.

The Wisconsin Capitol police continue their ludicrous crusade against citizen singers, on orders of Scott Walker.

What Erwin Knoll once called a "spasm of sanity" is as likely to be seized in Walker's brain as the Wisconsin Capitol police under David Erwin is going to launch a local version of the Blue Courage approach to policing in a civilized democracy.

Not going to happen, but it should.

Up north, we read the that armed militias are coming back to protect the poisoning of the land and water, including spreading asbestos around, but that the armed militias could be criminally prosecuted by Iron County corrupt DA, Martin Lipske.

Lipske should prosecute Bulletproof Securities for operating without a license, but won't.

• Mass arrests of citizens for talking to their own government
• Private (and government-protected) rightwing militias protecting corporations

This is what Scott Walker calls "leadership" to his Tea Party audiences out-of-state, while he refuses to face the Wisconsin people in even one question-and-answer session. Not one.