March 9, 2011

"Shortly after 8 p.m., hundreds of protesters gathered outside the locked King Street entrance to the Capitol, chanting 'Break down the door!' and 'General strike!'"

"Moments later, police ceded control of the State Street doors and allowed the crowd to surge inside." writes the Wisconsin State Journal.
It's not clear why police abandoned efforts to limit access to the Capitol Wednesday night, but Department of Administration spokesman Tim Donovan said "windows have been broken" to get in. He said he could not immediately provide specifics.
3 alternate theories of mine: 1. The police are sympathetic with the protests and facilitating them, 2. The police were overwhelmed by the numbers and retreated, 3. The police have a strategy of accommodating the crowd and letting them express and expend its energy.
Protesters jammed three floors of the Capitol and packed the bridges that connect the four wings of the Capitol, prompting alarm by police and others that those parts of the building might collapse.
Meade overheard some talk among the police about the capacity of the wooden components of the building to bear the load.

22 comments:

Peter Hoh said...

How about this theory: there will be a lot more overtime now that the police have to deal with the crowd inside the Capitol.

Hank Rearden_WI said...

Welcome to Obama's America.

Anonymous said...

My favorite part? If there is a collapse and a bunch of these people die, the narrative will immediately become: how could you pass a law like that and let us in to protest?

Is there a word for really sad yet hilarious?

Dale said...

I call pussies! Pussy protestors.

Hell, most of them are angry lesbians anyway.

adam said...

Is there a word for really sad yet hilarious?

I am sure the Germans have several.

Sprezzatura said...

So, folks can learn more from the Journal, than they can from the Meadia.

Imagine that.

Anonymous said...

That sure is a great point, PB. Really insightful that a dude with a camera has fewer resources than a huge press organization. Impressive observation. Astute to the max.

traditionalguy said...

If this was a Georgia public building their would be metal detectors to get in like the Airports use. The Federal Court in Atlanta has spent a million dollars on a new atrium structure manned by 20 guards and keeping the entering line of terrorist suspects 125 feet from the old front doors. The problem in Wisconsin is not hiring hundreds of guards to intimidate folks like Janet Napolitano knows how to do.

Anonymous said...

The Federal Court in Atlanta

They are all like this now.

MamaM said...

Protesters jammed three floors of the Capitol and packed the bridges that connect the four wings of the Capitol, prompting alarm by police and others that those parts of the building might collapse.

Not the place to start a tea dance

Emil Blatz said...

traditionalguy:

I always use the north entrance to the Federal Courthouse in Atlanta, the one that makes you feel like you are entering via a loading dock (because you are entering via a loading dock.) I think they have the Spring Street entrance covered as far as terrorist threats are concerned. Not so sure about the north entrance.

The Fulton County Courthouse shooting caused everyone to get fairly serious in GA. In the weeks after that happened I found myself looking at bailiffs with hands on their service weapons (still in holster) if I was slow to announce my request to approach the bench and started a few steps.

Hopefully there are some people in the Wisconsin Capitol Police who are on the ball. Based on the limited information - it's not clear. I'm wondering how they will get the Assembly members into the building tomorrow.

I have to laugh about the idea of parts of the Wisconsin Capitol collapsing under the load of protesters. That place is a fortress - the floor loading design limit must be astronomical. Ain't gonna happen.

Sprezzatura said...

Seven,

You're supposed to deny that the media is a better source of reality based information than the meadia.

The media is biased. The meadia is freedom seeking Americanism.

Get w/ the program.

Drew said...

This is not what Democracy looks like.

This is what Lord of the Flies looks like.

Unknown said...

"It's not clear why police abandoned efforts to limit access to the Capitol."

After hearing the protesters say "we're on the same side," I would guess it's agreement.

rhhardin said...

I assume general strike would be followed by general replacement.

miller said...

PBandJ:

Seven,

You're supposed to deny that the media is a better source of reality based information than the meadia.

The media is biased. The meadia is freedom seeking Americanism.

Get w/ the program.


You realize Althouse and Meade are living rent-free in your head, right?

Henry said...

I think 3 is the most likely.

jerryofva said...

This is only happening because the capital is co-located with one of the most radical universities in the country. Madison is as full of washed up hippies and radicals as Berkley or Boulder. This cry for a "general strike" is nothing more then a bunch of adolescent minded radicals, reinforced by a few union thugs, to pretend that this Petrograd 1917.

Anonymous said...

I assume general strike would be followed by general replacement.

I heard a woman say that there have been hundreds of applicants for every teaching job she has tried to get here.

I wonder how hard it is to fill teaching jobs in this NY town:

A typical teacher with a master’s degree and 30 years of service makes nearly $118,000 today. That teacher is entitled to retire with an $80,000 state pension, or 67.5 percent of his or her final salary.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/business/09bronxville.html?pagewanted=3&_r=3&hp

X said...

Fools. A general strike would be a classic blunder.

X said...

The most famous of which is never get involved in a labor war in with a guy who doesn't have a Women's Studies degree

X said...

but only slightly less well-known is this: Never go against a Republican by putting your entire fatcat gold-plated no-work government job on the line