Protests continued in Madison, Wis., Thursday as Wisconsin Republicans scored a legislative victory, passing legislation to strip public employees’ unions of collective-bargaining rights.
The scene was contentious on a day that began with police carrying protesters out of the Capitol, and death threats against Republican legislators.
T-shirts for sale in Madison read, “Fuck Walker.” Protest-goers could purchase them in black or red, and business was booming.
Corey Trzinski, 25, who described himself as a liberal Democrat, works in the design industry, so he knew how and where to make shirts.
Would people be justified in calling him a greedy capitalist?
“Yeah. Maybe,” Trzinski said. “I am just here to make money. Next week I’ll probably change the slogan to, ‘Recall Walker.’ ”
That anti-Walker sentiment is running higher than normal after the past few weeks of the standoff between Walker and senate Republicans, and 14 Democrats who are hiding out in Illinois.
In mid-November, 45 percent of Wisconsinites viewed Walker favorably and 35 percent viewed him unfavorably, according to a poll conducted by WPRI. Earlier this week, a new poll showed Walker holding onto his supporters at 43 percent, but his unfavorable ratings have jumped 18 points to 53 percent.
Still, there were some Walker supporters at the Capitol — like Christine Hufton, 22, who’s studying at UW-Madison to become a history teacher.
“I probably only represent 2 percent of my class, but I support Walker,” Hufton said. “Yes you heard me right. I am an aspiring teacher and I support Scott Walker regardless of what everyone else says.”
At the university, students like Hufton are a minority.
On Wednesday night, following the maneuvering by senate Republicans to pass the legislation, the UW-Madison Teaching Assistants’ Association voted to spend the night in the Capitol building despite threats of civil disobedience arrests because of a March 3 court order prohibiting overnight stays, TAA co-president Alex Hanna told the Badger Herald. Last week, professors at the school marched with TAs and students, and in February, the student government passed a resolution against the legislation.
Update 10:46 p.m. A previous version of this story included quotations from two students who attended the rally, which are currently under review. We regret any errors.
Josiah Cantrall is a member of the Student Free Press Association.
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