Texting From Madison: Photo Ops and Pushups

Waging Nonviolence correspondent Quince Mountain has been relaying news by text message from inside and out the occupied Capitol building in Madison, Wisconsin, where protesters are fighting to preserve collective bargaining rights for state employee unions. See all of the dispatches in this series here.

10:18 am, 3/2

It’s gonna be rough from here. Only attrition. No one new can join group. But no one kicking out. No immediate opposition to enliven the sit-in. Gov avoidant. People need to build something constructive so they stay. Have classes, services, singing, etc. But everyone is hella weary and there are few protestors demonstrating outside. National media may leave after today til senators return.

5:05 pm

So four democratic state assembly reps moved their offices outside today. Desks, nameplates, family photos, the whole deal.

AP had called off their shooters til that happened.

Come back lil shooter.

The other photographers here are disappointed that the family photos were facing outward, not toward the state reps . But I love it. I mean, cmon.

Amazing tho how it’s a good photo op that makes the editors send their news team back.

6:16

Dental floss, moisturizer, toothbrushes, eye drops, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, bar soap, no-more-tears baby shampoo, denture cream (!), lip balm, vitamins, shaving cream, essential oils, ankle socks, bandaids, latex gloves, rosewater spray.

Americans love to donate

Do they sit there imagining themselves as protestors 18 days into the Capitol occupation and think, “I’d want me some lemon oil on a little cotton ball”?

Is that part of the problem or part of the solution?

BYoBread and Circus

People asking if we need board games

I’ve seen some nice zines upstairs. And a James Patterson novel. And a copy of the state budget proposal.

12:52 am, 3/3

Indian food!

Pepperoni jerky

Bathing with wipes in assembly restroom.

Sleeping bag races around rotunda

Applying colored glitter glue to our shoes and faces

Shopping for new tee shirts shorts and socks at the Free Store

Also cool to try new hygiene items like crystal deodorant

Cleaning ladies on zambonis picking up after you and waxing the floor

The sheer variety of free pens and notepads

(more than in the press room)

Teach-in on horizontal power structure

Poetry workshop

Someone placing a powerful rock in your hand when you look a little out of sorts

Solidarity forever REMIX

Ballet

Solo capoeira

Pushups

Hard not to get soft at the Capitol

1:17 am

People outside can’t get in despite legal right.

People inside get to stay despite illegality of nighttime occupation.

All bets are off.

This article was originally published on WagingNonviolence.org.