While the Joint Finance Committee held public hearings on the budget repair plan, thousands of protesters angry with Gov. Scott Walker's bill rallied in and around the state Capitol Tuesday, chanting, hoisting signs and banging drums.
""I don't really go to protest very often,"" protester Andrew Mazur said. ""But this one meant enough to me to come out because I'm really, really scared for the state right now. I knew Walker was going to be conservative. I didn't expect him to gut all social programs like he's doing.""
Some protesters held signs questioning the state's support of teachers: ""Can you read this? Thank a Teacher."" Others compared Walker to the recently removed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak: ""Don't dictate, negotiate,"" and ""Dictators will fall.""
""All we're asking is for Walker to come to the table and talk,"" said Jeff Berger, a custodian at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. ""The way he's handling it is not the way to do it.""
University of Wisconsin-Madison students also joined the protests. Junior Nicole Tautges protested because her father has been a teacher at White Water High School for 25 years and was too busy working to attend. Alex Alvarez, a graduate student, said the bill impacts him personally.
""This definitely affects me and affects my classmates and affects my professors,"" Alvarez said. ""And the last thing we want is a great university like to lose competitive professors to other universities because of this bill.""
Some protesters passed out flyers saying the bill was one vote short of defeat in the state Senate, urging people to visit the office of Senate President Mike Ellis, R-Neenah. Earlier in the day, protesters meet with Ellis's staffers, according Nick Kasmer, a staff representative for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. But after the protests became too overwhelming, they resorted to writing letters. There appeared to be at least a hundred letters, with people still waiting to write.
Outside, people signed a white banner with the word ""PROTECT PUBLIC WORKERS."" The banner was nearly filled with signatures, which will be used during tomorrow's discussion of the bill.
The protests gained support from a wide age range, from union members nearing retirement to high school students just becoming politically active.
""It's awesome because there's a ton of people here,"" said Jeffery, a 14-year-old freshman at La Follette High School, who attended the rally with his friends. ""And they know what's right for Wisconsin, and they are supportive no matter if they're Republicans or Democrats.""
