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Despite a massive popular mobilization that has sustained itself for weeks, Wisconsin’s State Senate Republicans passed Governor Scott Walker’s controversial anti-union bill yesterday. The vote had been held up because fourteen Senate Democrats fled the state to prevent a necessary quorum required to pass any bill with financial provisions. Yesterday’s vote was made possible by stripping the original bill of its financial aspects. But in the wake of the vote, union members and their allies who were camped out in the state capital erupted into angry protests. They chanted “Shame shame,” and “you lied to Wisconsin,” implying that Scott Walker revealed nothing of his anti-union agenda during his election campaign. Thousands of people converged on the building and cars blared their horns in disgust. According to the Associated Press, “protesters had seized the building’s lower floors, creating an ear-splitting free-for-all of pounding drums, screaming chants, horns and whistles. Police gave up guarding the building entrances and retreated to the third floor.” Democratic State Senator Mark Miller released a statement saying that Republicans “conspired to take government away from the people…In 30 minutes, 18 state senators undid 50 years of civil rights in Wisconsin… Their disrespect for the people of Wisconsin and their rights is an outrage that will never be forgotten.” The rebellion in Wisconsin has been so historic that the Smithsonian’s Museum of American History sent a curator this week to record the demonstrations for its archives.

GUEST: Amie Williams, Los Angeles based activist and film maker, Rachel Friedman, Madison public employee and social worker