Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Greeted By Protestors in Seattle, by Holly Homan

It’s Thursday night September 5 and Wisconsin governor Scott Walker is in town. His appearance at the Washington Policy Center dinner at the posh Seattle Sheraton barred all reporters. Outside, however, about three-hundred people took over the street in front of the hotel holding signs saying things like “Not In Our State” or “Governor Walker Is Anti-Union, Anti labor, anti-Job Creation.”

Due to my work schedule I couldn’t get downtown until the protest was an hour old. When I arrived there was a chorus standing on top of a flatbed truck singing anti-Walker songs until it started raining and they stepped down. A brass band took over and played while a young woman twirled a baton in front of them.

At one point I swear I saw Washington Governor Jay Inslee and his entourage exiting the Seattle Center building across the street and head into the hotel. I couldn’t help but wonder if he had an appetite for the dinner being in the same room as Walker.

For those who have been living in a cave for the last couple years, Governor Walker has been famous for slashing government jobs from civil servants to public school teachers, passing draconian abortion laws and arresting those who protest.

Only a handful of people stuck around after the rain started falling including the band. They reminded me of the band on the sinking Titanic who played to the bitter end.

I doubt the protest affected Walker. He’s a sociopathic dictator who gets a lot of attention and kudos from the likes of ALEC and the Koch Brothers. But Seattle citizens certainly made their voices heard.

– Holly Homan