Althouse & Meade Confront WI Protesters On Disrespecting War Memorial (Video)

Ann Althouse continues her excellent coverage of the Wisconsin union protests.

Ann Althouse took this video yesterday — Saturday, February 26th — at the Wisconsin Capitol building. Her husband wanted to go back to see if the protesters had followed through on their promise to remove their things from the Veterans Memorial. There was still a lot of junk piled up against it.

From the video: Saturday, February 26, 2011, at the protest at the Wisconsin Capitol building. This is our second encounter with the protesters who put there stuff up against the base of the monument. The signs that had been taped all over the back of the monument had been removed. There’s a big police presence, and a woman pokes her nose into the conversation to tell me I’m being “rude.” I ask if maybe it’s “rude” to treat the Veterans Memorial like that, and she tells me it’s all — protesters and veterans — a fight for “democracy” and turns and walks away.

#1 February 27, 2011 at 12:45 pm
Granny commented:

Those cops aren’t “consenting to be on camera” because they don’t want to lose their jobs for dereliction of duty for participating in the protest.

“Trying to save democracy” my arse!
#2 February 27, 2011 at 12:51 pm
reliapundit commented:

FASCISTS. LIBERAL FASCISTS.

ALTHOUSE SHOULD WAKE UP; SHE HELPED VOTE THIS LIB FASCIST AND HIS CRONIES INTO POWER.
#3 February 27, 2011 at 12:59 pm
TnPatriot commented:

Police afraid to make a decision for which they have no training. I don’t blame them for no action, I blame the disrespectful protesters who do these things. The police are in a bad spot.
#4 February 27, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Barrack commented:

See what happens when you side with the left?

Your life becomes a contradiction rife with problems.
#5 February 27, 2011 at 1:34 pm
Murphy's Law commented:

Someone needs to tell these cops–and their bosses–that as public employees on-duty in a public place, they have no right at all to tell people not to tape them. The Supreme Court has made that abundantly clear and I cannot believe that they don’t know that.

They work for US, and their business is our business.

Of course the same thing applies to those “public-servant” teachers, who are really no more than ticks with union backing.
#6 February 27, 2011 at 1:34 pm
KR commented:

I’d like to see Jay Leno do one of his Jay Walking segments at the WI Capitol.
The the protesters could be asked questions on democracy, rule of law and their state constitution.
#7 February 27, 2011 at 1:36 pm
ditto commented:

Whats amazing is how vile and disgusting these people are. The woman in that video trying to act intelligent comes off looking and sounding like an old hag. Seriously, that old saying “ugly to the bone” is so true. They have no heart, no soul. They are like empty shells of human skin. Their selfishness is astonishing.

Instead of honoring fallen soldiers, they use it to promote hate. This is what they want, to be confronted about it. Then they act all hoity toity about anyone speaking out to them about it.

Its sort of like the freak on the street with a tattoo’d face and all kinds of piercings that you cant help looking at. Then they have the gall to confront you asking what you are looking at! Duh!
#8 February 27, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Joanne commented:

Simple. People disrespect that which they don’t respect.
#9 February 27, 2011 at 1:44 pm
L.E. Liesner commented:

When the Tea Party has a protest, the place that they protested is always cleaner then leave then when they arrived. When the liberals protest they prove that they are one step below pigs. I guess that the entitlement syndrome requires maid service too.
#10 February 27, 2011 at 1:48 pm
StrangernFiction commented:

Are any veterans groups speaking out about this?
#11 February 27, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Ginger commented:

If I remember right the cops came into the building and with a bull horn announced that they were on the teachers and union side for which the cops are also union! They should be fired! This is one reason why the public sector should had never became union!

I think the National Guard should be there to protect the building and the grounds. Spending the night is what really gets to me! They have been there way to long. The building is not just their building as they say. It belongs to all of the people of that state and they are denying other people to visit the place. Is there not offices there where people actually work?

That fat ass Trumka was on tv again moving his mouth. Boy is he one ugly ?
#12 February 27, 2011 at 2:30 pm
Phil commented:

I’m a retired State police Lieutenant I am amazed at the police hiding from being photographed. Where to they get these people? Do they make up their own laws? First this is a public place, everything and everybody there can be photographed. Secondly, police are public officials in a public place, they are subject to being photographed. I’ll bet that there are surveillance cameras in that building. Do the police get written releases from all the photographed subjects in the building? Do the police seek permission to video subjects on the dash cameras in their cruisers? All those officers are in dire need of training and a basic civics lesson.
#13 February 27, 2011 at 2:30 pm
KR commented:

Ginger,
You are right about it being outrageous that the protesters are sleeping in the Capitol building. Who else demands this? If they were expected to leave each evening there wouldn’t be so many there after a while. Other union supporters would have to put them up in their own homes or pay for lodging.

Yet they are making themselves out to be what they are at heart… moochers.
#14 February 27, 2011 at 2:58 pm
squeaky commented:

teachers gone wild…..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdqQTIQhn5A
#15 February 27, 2011 at 3:11 pm
Groucho Marxism commented:

The most hilarious, and sad, was the shriveled up old lefty bat that completely ignored the point about disrespecting a memorial for people that actually DIED for her right to make herself look like a simpering fool while claiming she was fighting for democracy.
They either look like they just sucked on lemons, or they’re foaming at the mouth.
#16 February 27, 2011 at 3:39 pm
anti-lib commented:

what’s the bs about having to have ‘consent to be on camera’, what about all the security cameras that are out on public, at banks, airports, stores, etc.

That’s BS.
#17 February 27, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Dave-O commented:

#12 – you are sooooo right.

Ann Althouse needs to read and bring with her a copy of this:

http://www.krages.com/ThePhotographersRight.pdf

a copy of the Photographer’s Bill of Rights –

In fact, ALL tea-party bloggers and photographers need to read and distribute this brochure – and to carry it with them at all times while “on assignment.
#18 February 27, 2011 at 4:33 pm
JPeden commented:

KR commented:
Ginger,

You are right about it being outrageous that the protesters are sleeping in the Capitol building. Who else demands this?

Infants? Growing up is such a drag. Meanwhile back in reality, they may not know it, but they are just practicing up for being Homeless, the next step down toward the Communist Utopia, progressively. Or maybe they do know it, which is why they’re so desperate: they know they are only unregenerate, undeserving Parasites, but then they’ve turned Progressivism’s ultimate “injustice” in practice, them having been born and having to live, into a claim that it’s all our fault, so it’s our duty to support them and make them happy. Voila, “Communism saves” and “together we thrive”!
#19 February 27, 2011 at 4:54 pm
NJ commented:

The governor needs to send the union the bill for the cleanup cost,taxpayers should have to pay for this.
#20 February 27, 2011 at 5:04 pm
RickZ commented:

That ‘I’m not consenting to be photographed’ cop needs a little lesson in just who the he11 pays his salary.
#21 February 27, 2011 at 6:22 pm
thebronze commented:

Those cops are straight-up cowards. The aren’t enforcing the law they swore to uphold and they’re cowards for not wanting to be filmed. If the aren’t doing anything wrong, why are they afraid to be filmed?
#23 February 27, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Dave J commented:

Ann and her husband are doing great work, but they need to cut to the chase and simplify the questions. Point to the memorial and ask the protesters and those supposedly providing security; ” these soldiers died and are here honored for what?” Point to the house security cameras and ask if they consent to those.
#25 February 28, 2011 at 7:51 am
STL Hawkeye commented:

How much longer do we have to put up with this? When is enough, enough?
#26 February 28, 2011 at 9:16 am
Ipso Facto commented:

Those cops are clearly in the bag for the union. They have now crossed the Rubicon. As it becomes more and more obvious, that our law enforcement agencies are not enforcing the law they swore to uphold, because of their political inclinations, and that the legislators who make the laws are shirking their responsibilities and subverting the democratic process, regular folks will eventually take the law into their own hands.

I will not participate in it, but this is EXACTLY the sort of thing that leads to violence. Those cops are sowing the seeds for civil unrest. Regular folks will not sit back for much longer in the face of all the vitriolic spews coming from the left and the heavy handed union organizers. They have made their point, we get it. But at a given time, the unsubstantiated hysteria must stop and people need to allow the democratic process to take place.

When violence comes, REMEMBER, the CAUSE of the violence will have been:
1. That the legislators who make the laws abdicated their responsibility.
2. That the instigators felt above the and were urged on to disregard the law by those very legislators and the police.
3. That the police failed to enforce the law they were sworn to uphold.
4. That people no longer had any respect for the legislators, the instigators or the police.

You can take this to the bank. If this keeps up THERE WILL BE VIOLENCE and people will feel like it was completely justified.
#27 February 28, 2011 at 10:32 am
Paul in N. AL commented:

I completely agree with #26. The police obviously don’t care about the public in their outward support for the unions. Its disgusting.