After the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the people proved to the skeptics that they can unite when there are serious problems in society which need to be addressed.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors gave Madison the privilege to host its annual conference from June 14 to 18. Mayor Sue Bauman spent over $700,000 in security costs for the attending mayors and corporate lobbyists, and now the city of Madison is struggling to pay it off.
Several community groups provided an alternate event to the Mayors Conference, by holding a People's Conference on Saturday, June 15 at the Labor Temple.
Cities for People hosted the conference as well as put together a large coalition of concerned citizens who felt they have the right to attend the mayors conference.
During those four days, Madison transformed into a city of resistance and the authority showed a face we haven't seen in years.
A wide variety of people appeared and the \silent resistance"" that seems to dominate such events turned into a very loud resistance. The noise began on Friday with the largest Critical Mass bike in Madison history and ending with a face-off on Sunday, June 16 with state troopers in front of Memorial Union.
After a parade organized by Cities for People, about 150 protesters continued to Memorial Union. It was the first day that the union had been closed in decades. While the mayors were inside enjoying a ""Beer, Brats & Blues"" party hosted by Philip Morris, the police were harassing the protesters.
The protesters were faced with about 300 officers, including state troopers and riot police who took the front line about an hour into the face-off. No violence was presented to the officers, aside from a few powdered donuts tossed over the line.
Since little to no communication existed between protesters and officers, there was a lot of confusion. In the end, seven people were pulled out and arrested, including an Independent Media reporter.
Former police chief David Couper witnessed the event and responded in an article in the Isthmus. He was disappointed with the tactics used and felt that the police had ""spurned hard-won advances."" Bauman was irresponsible in spending as much money as she did, especially now when we are suffering from a budget crisis.
People are finding more and more that the system is corrupt and does not accept the voice of the common citizen. Money and class in this society matter more than anything, causing corporate interests to dominate. What is the solution?
Organizing is the key. Civil disobedience is one of the few remaining tactics left in the fight for democracy. The people must unite with a common goal to force a change in how our elected officials handle business.
In a society where corporations will always have more money than the people, we must use the power of numbers to ensure democracy prevails. Students have a long history of standing up in the face of authority. Hopefully, students will continue to organize around issues being ignored by America's elite. Looking at strategies that people are using to make their voices heard, I am confident that this movement will be far more successful.
Today the students are more focused and educated on the issues. We know which battles to fight, and our goals are clearer. Uniting with the community is the key. In times like these when the people are being exploited in a variety of ways, we must resist in solidarity. The system fears this unity, since it would force real changes to be made.
If you doubted the existence of opposition in the current environment of the near-paranoid ""war on terror,"" then you were proved wrong. The people are shouting, and I hope that someone listens.
