Milwaukee 21: Resistance and solidarity win victory

After months of struggle the Milwaukee 21 have won an important victory. In late July the city attorney’s office moved to dismiss the last of the municipal disorderly conduct charges against them, citing a lack of sufficient evidence against those ticketed, Milwaukee-based civil rights attorney Robin Shellow told Workers World.

The case arose out of a March 19 demonstration at an Army recruiting station two blocks from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Youths from Metro Milwaukee took part in the protest, called on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the U.S. invasion, occupation and criminal war on Iraq. During the course of the demonstration a window was broken. As a result, the cops issued municipal citations for “disorderly conduct” to 21 youth.

During the booking process the cops videotaped and audiotaped the youth and confiscated their shoes, cell phones, cameras and one youth’s pants. Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and the media backed up the cops and attempted to rally the public against the youth. Violence-baiting and other attacks against the youth ensued for days in the corporate media.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel printed the names of all 21. Bending to the conservative pressure, a suburban library in West Bend refused meeting space access to some of the Milwaukee 21, who for months had held meetings there.

Some in the peace movement also criticized the youth. But other activists in Milwaukee, throughout Wisconsin and nationally saw this attack by the state as an attempt to create a chilling effect by criminalizing the anti-war movement and by extension other progressive individuals, organizations and movements. Supporters of the 21 refused to allow the state to equate a broken window with the genocidal actions of U.S. imperialism in Iraq and worldwide, including domestically.

Beginning within hours after the 21 were issued citations, a group of supporters moved into action for defense work.

The Milwaukee branch of the International Action Center (IAC) put out a call for letters of support. Solidarity statements and letters came in from across the country. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel refused to print any of these, instead publishing scores of articles, letters and editorials denouncing the 21. However, the IAC published all the correspondence it received at the Milwaukee Indymedia website.

On April 4, an almost five-hour-long protest, sponsored by Students for a Democratic Society at UW-Milwaukee and the Youth Action Coalition at UW-Milwaukee, took place at the same Army recruiting station where the 21 had demonstrated. The protest forced the recruiting station to close for the day. These two activist groups also sponsored a forum at UW-Milwaukee on First Amendment and other constitutional rights.

With the assistance of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), Workers World newspaper used an “open records request” to obtain the arrest documents, police reports and other information about the 21.

Supporters also sent a letter to the Milwaukee 21 assuring them that many individuals had offered to assist legally and in other ways. The letter stated in part: “With or without the help of an attorney we must fight back. We need to send the message loud and clear that the cops can’t just round us up. Whether we win in the courts or not, we will win in the streets, as your actions have already shown.”

Some of the 21, under parental and other pressures, pled no contest or guilty to the municipal disorderly conduct charges. But the majority decided to be represented by attorney Shellow, who is known internationally for her vigorous defense tactics.

Local and national resistance against the attempted railroading of the 21 was a key component in this struggle, Jenny Peshut told Workers World. Peshut is a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and AFSCME Local 82.

“Even with all of the attacks, the youth fought back, we fought back. As Milwaukee radicals, we believe that this struggle was not just about what 21 youth did on March 19, 2007, but about all of us who fight for freedom and the right to protest. Yes, we won in part because the cops didn’t have a case, but the real victory was the struggle. We must always fight back.”