The ANSWER Coalition released this update on the Wisconsin labor struggle.
Hundreds of protesters in Madison stood together on
Feb. 27 and defeated a government attempt to end the student and worker occupation
of the capitol building. At 4 p.m., they refused a police order to leave the
capitol, and forced the police to give in to the protesters. The occupation
continues.
The unions are calling on people to come to the
capital in order to keep the occupation going until the bill is defeated.
The occupation of the government building, which has
been central to the uprising against the anti-union and anti-worker budget
bill, is now in its 13th day. Tens of thousands of students and workers have
occupied the capitol building for the last two weeks.
A wave of mass demonstrations has taken place in
Madison and all over Wisconsin. On Feb. 26, 150,000 workers descended on
Madison in the largest demonstration yet. Large solidarity protests were held
in all 50 states on the same day, including 2,000 in Chicago on a chilly winter
day.
On March 1, there will be a mass demonstration in
Columbus, Ohio, to defeat another union-busting budget bill. Days of protests continue
in Indiana to defeat a budget bill there.
The labor struggle in the Midwest has drawn millions of workers into the
fight against an assault by the business elites and their political
representatives to smash public unions in the United States. Continued
support of the workers and students in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and in
others state where the unions are under attacks is extremely important
at this critical juncture.
