Wisconsin State Capitol
Madison, WI
3/2/2024
Chant: Fight Poverty! And not the Poor!
Today, several hundred gathered on the steps of the Wisconsin State Capitol to, “demand living wages, voting rights, healthcare, fully-funded public education, a healthy environment, clean water, affordable and decent housing, an end to the war economy, militarism and genocide, an end to poverty.”
This assembly was hosted by: The Wisconsin Poor People's Campaign: A National Call For Moral Revival. From the event posting:
With 140 million poor and low-wealth people in America (the wealthiest nation on earth) we know that poverty is a moral failure of our leadership and we won’t be silent anymore. Chronic poverty is the 4th leading cause of premature death in this country - more than gun violence and car accidents. It doesn’t need to be this way, and as the majority, we can make a difference.
On March 2, we will bring our voices and our witness to the Wisconsin State Capitol and present our Unifying Values and Demands to the legislature and its leadership. The unifying values of the assembly and march center around the following demands for ALL:
- Living Wages
- Voting Rights
- Environmental Justice
- Access to Housing
- Health Care
- Equal Rights for ALL
- Fully-Funded Public Education
- Ending the War Economy, Militarism & Genocide
- Abolishing Poverty
- The Unity of Love ❤️ Not the Division of Hate
Chant: Fight Poverty! And not the Poor!
Several speakers talked about the need to help those living in poverty, who identify as poor. This march and assembly was faith-based, with leaders and members of several dominations present. A Lutheran pastor said, "We are here because of love. Because we care about freedom, liberation, peace, and justice peace."
The group peacefully marched around the Capitol square, doing its best to not disrupt traffic and those not part of the march.
As the assembly at the Capitol was ending, some in the crowd began to chant, "Free, Free, Free Palestine" in an effort to get the crowd engaged. Sadly, this was ignored in favor of ushering people to the First United Methodist Church for an assembly and lunch.
