A virtual rebellion broke out outside a Milwaukee, Wis., welfare office on June 23 due to confusion over the distribution of food vouchers.
Beginning as early as 3 a.m., people gathered at the Marcia P. Coggins Human Services Center. The crowd swelled to 3,000, blocking traffic. Fearing there would not be enough vouchers, people rushed the door and several fights broke out. Thirty-four police squad cars rushed to the scene.
It turned out the center was not distributing food vouchers, but only accepting voucher applications. Yvonne Love, a mother of three young children, said: “Now I have to try and get to a food pantry, I’ve got to feed my kids.” Wisconsin was recently hit by severe floods.
As the government spends billions on war and occupation, working people across the country struggle to eat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 10 percent of households nationwide are either at risk of or experiencing hunger.
