One year after takeover

Photo: Rebecca Kemble

Protesters from across Wisconsin and beyond rallied at the State Capitol in Madison Feb. 11 to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the people’s uprising that is still shaking the foundations of Wall Street.

On Feb. 11, 2011, Gov. Scott Walker held a press conference in Madison to announce his intent — on behalf of Wall Street and the Pentagon — to bust public sector unions. Within hours tens of thousands took to the State Capitol and occupied it for days, ushering in the largest protests ever in the state and helping to ignite a new era of people’s resistance in the U.S.

Inspired by the Tunisian and Egyptian peoples’ uprisings, the people’s resistance to union busting and austerity in Wisconsin continues to inspire other righteous resistance — from poor and working people in Ohio defeating a union-busting bill to Occupy Wall Street.

Throughout the last year, poor and working people of all nationalities in Wisconsin have fought tenaciously and courageously on many fronts. Despite relentless attacks by Wall Street and its political servants like Walker, activists continue to fight back statewide, scoring important victories like securing 1 million signatures to recall Walker.

The battle between the ruling class and the working class and the oppressed rages on in Wisconsin, but, as shown at the one-year anniversary celebration, the struggle continues not only to defeat the anti-people attacks but to ensure that a better world’s in birth.

— Bryan G. Pfeifer