U. Wisconsin protesters arrested

The Daily Cardinal MADISON, Wis. (U-WIRE) -- The University of Wisconsin-Madison's latest round of anti-sweatshop labor protests that culminated in an 89-hour sit-in in Chancellor David Ward's Bascom Hall office was forcibly disbanded early Sunday morning. At 3:50 a.m., over 40 university police officers, Dane County Sheriff's deputies and Madison police officers began massing in the parking lot behind Bascom Hall. The officers wore gas masks and dressed in full riot gear, some carrying tear gas canisters and pepper spray. Neither agent was used over the course of the morning. "I authorized this action," Ward said in a statement Sunday. "I did so because it is my responsibility to ensure that students, faculty and staff do not face intimidation, interference or personal danger as they go about their business?. These problems did develop. They had to end." Sleeping protesters were jolted awake by others who had stayed up to serve as guards. Within minutes, while police officers assembled, the protesters had moved themselves into Ward's office. Seven of the demonstrators closest to the office's front door chained themselves together with U-locks around their necks. By the time police entered the building, nearly 70 protesters were waiting for them in Ward's office singing We Shall Overcome. While six officers secured the adjacent lecture hall, Room 165, two others entered the office and the remainder secured the rest of the wing. At that point, police gave the demonstrators five minutes to evacuate before they would start arresting people. With less than one minute left in their ultimatum, the protesters began rhythmically clapping. One protester shouted, "We are beautiful, and we are right!" At 4:13 a.m., one of the officers called out, "The time period has expired. Everyone remaining in the building is now under arrest." Once the officers were safely inside Ward's office, all officers in the building removed their gas masks and the back door to Ward's office was opened. Another six officers entered the office at 4:22 a.m. Meanwhile, the protesters sang We Shall Not Be Moved and chanted, "Ain't no power like the power of the people, 'cause the power of the people don't stop." After their initial tension, the feeling among the protesters became light and jubilant. "Hey guys, where should we hold our victory party?" the protesters asked playfully. The protesters remained jocular and continued to sing songs ranging from I Feel Good and Strangers in the Night to a sarcastic rendition of Varsity. At one point, the crowd in the office even did the wave. Starting at 5 a.m., police officers began forcibly removing protesters from the chancellor's office. Even during the forcible arrests, tension was relatively low. "This isn't as scary as I thought it'd be," protester Bob Hemauer said. Officers continued to remove people until 5:56 a.m., when only the seven who had locked themselves together remained. Police gathered inside Ward's office to cut through the locks around the protesters' necks. "I've never done it with a human on the other side, so it'll be frightening," said University Security Supervisor Jim Kaszubski, who operated the cutter. The last arrested protester left Bascom Hall at 7:30 a.m. According to University Police, he was the 54th taken into custody. The police remained, documenting the possessions and posters remaining from 89 hours of occupation.