Largest Crowd Yet: 80,000 Rally in Wisconsin

by Tim Walker and Cynthia McCabe
In one of the biggest rallies in Madison since the Vietnam War, up to 80,000 Wisconsin workers and their supporters, waving off freezing, snowy weather, marched into Capitol Square on Saturday. The rally the weekend before was huge – 55,000 plus – but this one surpassed it, sending a loud-and-clear message that the commitment to turn back Gov. Scott Walker’s union-busting proposals is only getting stronger and louder.

Saturday’s rally marked the 12th day of major action in Madison against Walker’s plan to strip public sector unions of most collective bargaining rights. It took place one day after the Wisconsin’s state Assembly approved the bill in a surpise, early morning vote. The plan now needs state Senate approval, but 14 Senate Democrats fled Wisconsin on February 17 to prevent the three-fifths budget quorum, and have shown no signs of returning.

The courageous actions of these lawmakers gave the protesters the time to mobilize, turn up the heat, help turn public opinion against the Walker bill, and rally the nation’s workers to their cause – evident by the coast-to-coast protests over the weekend supporting workers’ rights.

Video: Saturday Rally in Madison
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4kvNzuf_EY[/youtube]

The 80,000 plus in Madison were joined by large crowds in cities across the United States – more than 3,000 in New Jersey, 1,000 in Lansing, Mich., 500 in Helena, Mont., 2,000 in Harrisburg, Pa., 2,000 in Columbus, Ohio, 1,000 in Denver, and 1,000 in Salem, Oregon. (Here’s a photo gallery of the nationwide protests.)

All were standing behind not only the workers in Wisconsin, but also in Ohio, Idaho and Indiana, where bills attacking workers’ rights are also being pushed through the legislature.

On Friday, National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel appeared at a Stand For Wisconsin rally in downtown Portland, Oregon.

“We will do everything in our power to fight against these attacks,” Van Roekel told the crowd.  “This is not about balancing budgets. This is about destroying the balance between the middle class and corporations and about silencing your voice!”

Video: NEA President Dennis Van Roekel in Portland
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In Madison on Saturday, Wisconsin Education Association Council President Mary Bell said, as a light snow fell, that “It is a great February day for a rally.” As the boisterous crowd cheered, Bell again reminded everyone listening that this campaign is not about to end and the voices of working men and women would not be silenced – despite Walker’s refusal to engage the state’s employees and negotiate.

“We send the same message: This is not about economics,” Bell said. “This is about your rights in the workplace. All of you – union, non-union, public, private – are here today not because of money, but because you believe in what is fair and what is right.”

Related posts:

1. “This is the Beginning” – Wisconsin Workers Still Galvanized
2. Protests in Wisconsin Intensify as Vote Draws Near
3. Wisconsin Educators Stand Firm, Fight For Workers’ Rights Goes National
4. Wisconsin Mobilizes Against Gov. Walker’s Anti-Educator Bill
5. Wisconsin Prepares for High-Stakes Recall Elections