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Wisconsin hits back against ‘Americans for Prosperity’ union-busting bus tour

By staff

Madison, WI – Seeing their governor friend in office plummet in the polls, the Koch front group, Americans for Prosperity (AFP) organized a bus tour that traversed the state of Wisconsin last week. The bus tour ended in Madison yesterday, March 6. In one city and town after another, protesters met the bus with a firm message: “Kill the bill,” “Recall the Republican 8,” and “Stop the attacks on public workers.”

When the tour kicked off in Kenosha, several hundred pro-union workers marched around the bus. Fewer than 20 Walker supporters were there. More people showed up to send the bus away, chanting “Kill the bill.” When the AFP wanted to leave, they drove the bus to the back of the building so staff could get on avoiding the militant crowd.

Then in Milwaukee on March 3, over 400 people lined Oklahoma Avenue and 51st Street outside Serb Hall. Four riders were on the bus, while a dozen or so individuals supporting Walker stood outside the hall before it began. Supportive drivers honked and drew in more anti-Walker protesters as the rally grew bigger. On the night of March 4 over 800 protesters greeted Walker as he slipped from his black SUV to a Columbus country club. This is not unusual: everywhere the Governor goes, protesters are there to meet him and growing in strength. People in Columbus loudly chanted, “Shame on you!”

On March 5, in Hudson, 500 more showed up to protest the AFP bus. The Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC), AFSCME, SEIU, Teamsters, parents and kids showed in numbers never seen in these parts to stop Walker supporters’ lies.

La Crosse had a spirited crowd of over 1000 to greet the bus. The Recall Dan Kapanke committee kicked off their campaign against the Republican state legislator and collected over 2100 signatures.

The finale for the bus tour was held in Madison on March 6, but not at the Capitol. There were far too many people protesting in the square that day (park officials said 7000 to 10,000 rallied). Despite hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on ads and bus tours to prop up Walker, everyday Wisconsinites can’t be fooled.

#Madison #WisconsinWI #GovernorScottWalker #publicSectorUnions #AmericansForProsperity #KochBrothers