Today is day 9 of protests in Wisconsin, which have brought up to 70,000 into the streets to demand what protestors consider to be a fundamental American right: the right to organize. The full frontal attacks on public workers, the brutal repression of revolutionary movements in Libya, Bahrain, and elsewhere are scary and meant to intimidate. But right now, they’re giving us a chance to practice globalizing solidarity and using our power.
They’re also showing us what we have in common: Egypt, Bahrain, Libya and Wisconsin are all at a breaking point where we will no longer put up with governance that legitimates the massive theft of social wealth by a criminal financial elite, whether Mubarak, Gaddafi, Goldman Sachs, or the money-drenched US political system.
People here and around the world are organizing, using protests, social networking, organized labor, and visibility. The spark that started in Tunisia – the very idea that mass movements can win against concentrated power and wealth – is alive today. And that gives me hope. People from all over the world (including Egypt!) are sending donations towards feeding protestors, over 150 Los Angeles public workers arrived this afternoon by plane to “do whatever the people of Wisconsin need us to do,” support rallies have sprung up in cities across the country, including several in Oregon.
Let’s take a moment to ask ourselves: What can we do to support, to build momentum? How do we create these catalyst moments that show the power that we’ve built over decades of organizing?
Let’s think of the 14 representatives in Wisconsin who are physically refusing to enter the chamber, a kind of high-level political disobedience, and the Indiana representatives who did the same today. What would our own politicians be capable of if we could “put the wind at their backs” as ROP friend Suzanne Pharr likes to say?
Check out the ROP Facebook page as we continue to post news on Wisconsin:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/
Please share your own posts on the ROP Facebook page as well. Where are you getting your news? What action are you taking to support the public workers?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
ROP member group Citizens for Peace & Justice Medford and Rogue Valley Independent Media Center share these great links:
To follow the real developments, and organizing, the Center for Media and Democracy is sharing breaking news:
http://prwatch.org/news/2011/
Commondreams has some good news, including this piece by Medea Benjamin:
http://www.commondreams.org/
And last, a video from the Real News Network:
http://therealnews.com/t2/