Finally, I get to do my own "eviscerates" diary!
It's not going to be much of a diary, just a plea to go and read this article by Capital Times reporter Steven Elbow if you have any interest in the daily Wisconsin protest known as the Solidarity Sing Along.
Elbow has spent the past couple weeks thoroughly researching the story and his headline writer totally nails it with Capitol Police chief's crackdown on protesters appears to be backfiring.
Here is a sample of the myth-busting done by Elbow, detailing alleged "harassment" by protesters at a recent Red Cross blood drive held in the rotunda. As they do every time there is a permitted event in the rotunda, the Solidarity Sing Along met outside that day so as not to disturb the blood drive, but a few citizens quietly displayed signs inside on the opposite side of the rotunda, including signs thanking people for donating blood. Many of those citizens were arrested and ticketed, including two women who were charged for "illegal display" after holding up T-Shirts given to them by a group affiliated with the Red Cross that was there encouraging people to give blood:
Requests for police reports detailing the incidents with the Red Cross were unanswered. (Department of Administration spokesperson Stephanie) Marquis says they're under investigation.
Bobbi Snethen, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross Badger-Hawkeye region, says police were called in to deal with a man who was taking video near the medical history table, which raised confidentiality issues.
"That situation was handled simply and quickly, and it wasn't a harassment issue," she says.
"Our staff did not feel threatened," she says. "And that's coming from our collections director who was with the supervisors who were there during those three days."
She says the Red Cross plans to return to the Capitol in November and December.
Go read
the article. It's worth it.