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Antwort in : /alt/activism/d Absender : ww@wwpublish.com (Workers World) Betreff : Homeless protest at U.S. governors' conference Datum : Mi 12.08.98, 17:30 (erhalten: 16.08.98) Groesse : 3074 Bytes ----------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------- Via Workers World News Service Reprinted from the Aug.12, 1998 issue of Workers World newspaper -------------------------
MILWAUKEE: HOMELESS PROTEST AT U.S. GOVERNOR'S CONFERENCE
By Phil Wilayto Milwaukee, Wis.
When Milwaukee was chosen as the site for this year's meeting of the National Governors' Association, things got a lot tougher for the city's homeless. The police weren't taking any chances on the national news media showing the human toll of W-2, Wisconsin's welfare "reform" program that has been touted as the national model.
So over the past month there has been a sharp increase in police harassment and ticketing of the homeless.
"People have been arrested for sitting on the steps of the library or eating their lunch in the park," said Adison Hendree, a leader of the homeless advocacy group Repairers of the Breach.
In response to this harassment, Hendree's organization called for a protest. Organizers applied for and received a permit, made up some signs and asked for support from other organizations. On Aug. 1 they hit the streets.
Joining them were members of Milwaukee Peace Action, the Socialist Party, Anti-Racist Action, the A Job Is A Right Campaign and other groups--over 100 people in all.
The cops tried to limit the action. As soon as the protesters got near the convention center, cops told them they would not be allowed to demonstrate closer than across the street. To emphasize that point, the police brought in at least half a dozen wagons, unlocked the back doors and brought out bundles of plastic handcuffs.
The cops' arrogance only made the protesters more determined. Instead of following their original plan of circling the center, they positioned themselves on the most visible street and kept up a loud and militant presence all morning.
In response to calls for support, officers from the local NAACP came down to the picket line with a statement demanding the police respect the group's right to demonstrate. Calls of protest began coming in to police headquarters from outside Milwaukee--including one from Deirdre Griswold, editor of Workers World newspaper.
Homeless people are particularly vulnerable to police harassment. But despite the presence of cops videotaping the protest and repeatedly shooting pictures with telephoto lenses, the homeless and their supporters stood their ground.
While Gov. Tommy Thompson was inside extolling the benefits of the "Wisconsin Miracle," the protesters outside were exposing that miracle for the racist, anti-working- class sham that it is.
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