Spring Has Returned to Wisconsin and So Have the Rallies

"Change is in the air and I'm not just talking about the weather," Lori Compas told a crowd of an estimated 50,000 people gathered at the Wisconsin State Capitol last Saturday on a sunny and unseasonably warm afternoon. "I'm talking about an awakening all across Wisconsin. A renewed sense that all of us matter, [that] all of us have a voice, and by working together we can bring our state back to its best traditions." The mass rally at the Wisconsin Capitol, marking the anniversary of the passage of Governor Scott Walker's collective bargaining bill, displayed a sense of celebration rather than protest.

Compas' speech was one of the most anticipated of the afternoon, despite her very recent entrance into the world of Wisconsin politics. In the past few months, Lori Compas, mom, photographer and political neophyte, has gained statewide attention after successfully organizing the recall election of Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, despite being told by the political establishment that it could not be done. Compas recently announced her intention to run against Senator Fitzgerald in an election that the state elections board recently recommended to be scheduled for June 12.

Marking Anniversary of Passage of ACT 10

The mass rally on March 10, 2012 marked the one year anniversary of the passage of the "Budget Repair Bill" or Act 10, which stripped public workers of the right to collectively bargain. The introduction of the bill sparked an uprising marked by sustained, mass protests and a nearly three-week occupation of the capitol.

The rally's theme was "Reclaim Wisconsin," a message that was summarized by Ed Ludwig, an elementary school teacher from La Crosse. "It's time to reclaim the democratic principles of a government that listens to its people, rather than the big money from AIG and Koch Industries," he said.

Speakers Rally the Crowd

The rally was kicked off by the President of the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO, Phil Neuenfeldt, who emphasized the international nature of the struggle in Wisconsin. Because it was also the anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Neuenfeldt referenced workers in Japan and around the world who "are fighting the same agenda that ALEC and Walker have been promoting in this state."

Mary Kay Henry, the International President of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) also emphasized the importance of the Wisconsin uprising in the international context of workers rights. "Governor Walker and the Koch brothers started something last year, but they aren't going to like how it ends... We are going to win a mandate for change for the 99% in Wisconsin."

Mahlon Mitchell amped up the crowd by leading chants of "this is what democracy looks like." Mitchell, President of the Professional Firefighters of Wisconsin, said that Republicans in the legislature "are trying to show us what hypocrisy looks like." Mahlon also poked fun at Governor Scott Walker in the context of the ongoing "John Doe" criminal investigation involving the Governor's former staff, and numerous signs in the crowd referenced the criminal investigation. The previous day, Walker announced he had set up a legal defense fund, which experts say suggests he is a target of the investigation. Mitchell is rumored to be considering a run for Lt. Governor in additional recall elections anticipated in the spring.

Lori Compas Receives Warm Welcome

Lori Compas began her speech with signs of spring: "Last night I saw a pair of sandhill cranes flying low above the cornfields... sandhills are one of the first signs of spring. Every year their return reminds us that even after the most difficult winters, new life is stirring and new beginnings are under way... Change is in the air, I can feel it. Can you?" Ironically, Joel Kleefisch, Republican Assemblyman and husband of Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, proposed a bill this legislative session to allow a hunting season on the rare and protected birds.

"Through our hard work we've made them answer for what they've done" Compas declared, speaking of the recall elections that resulted in the removal of two Republican Senators over the summer, and the collection of enough signatures to force four more Senators into recall elections this spring. She cited "the concerns of ordinary people who want decent lives. Most of all they want their voices to be heard."

Compas claimed that a disregard for people's right to be heard was the reason Wisconsin needed change, saying "a year ago the powers that be refused to hear us, but I think they can hear us now!" Holding up a stack of papers from the state elections board recommending that the four senatorial recalls move forward, she announced, "this is Scott Fitzgerald's pink slip," to roars from the crowd.

Feeder Marches Meet at Capitol

Many groups organized feeder marches that gathered a few blocks from the capitol and marched to the square where they joined forces. There was a large feeder march organized by United Wisconsin, the grassroots group that formed to organize the collection of almost 2,000,000 signatures to recall Governor Scott Walker, Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and three of the Republican Senators.

There were also several smaller feeder marches and contingents representing a variety of groups including AFSCME, SEIU, Occupy Milwaukee and Occupy Madison, an anti-mining group, the omnipresent firefighters and police officers, and other local and national unions.

Weekend of Action

The evening before Saturday's rally, some protesters attended a candlelight vigil to commemorate the vote that passed Act 10, followed by a sneak preview for a new movie about the Wisconsin uprising, We Are Wisconsin. According to the group We Are Wisconsin, the weekend of events was an effort to "honor, remember, and act."