Labor backers arrested at Tenn. Capitol protest

[TomCADem]

Source: Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Troopers forcibly carried out seven union supporters from the Tennessee's legislative office complex on Tuesday after their protest disrupted a Senate committee hearing.

The disruption occurred after hundreds of labor supporters gathered for a midday protest near the Capitol to denounce a bill to strip teachers of their collective bargaining rights. The seven arrested were among those who stood up during the hearing and began chants about "union busting" by the Legislature.

* * *

Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville in a statement said he supports the right to protest and assemble peacefully in Tennessee. But he said the protesters went too far.

"This General Assembly will not be intimidated by nomadic bands of professional agitators on spring break bent on disruption," he said. "We talk through our differences here. Tennessee is not Wisconsin."


Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gkPmmDXBmX804Af6jK1tlhVFi8cw?docId=310d19791b374defae71d1c72530a528

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The Republican war on middle class workers continues in Tennessee in a story that is not getting much national attention. Of course, if they started wearing tea bags, the national media would be all over it to push the tea bag movement narrative. Or, if Tennessee was Democratically controlled, it would be covered to push the narrative that the left has abandoned the Democrats. But, if it is Repubublicans stripping Americans of rights and environmental protections, the story will largely be ignored by the corporate media.

[ananda]

1. Fascism anyone?

nt

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. "in a story that is not getting much national attention"

I think we're safely at the point we can just copy and paste this line into virtually every thread here. :-(

[dotymed]

6. I live 50 miles from Nashville.

My Daughter graduates college as a teacher this year. THIS IS THE FIRST I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THIS.

[socialist_n_TN]

7. Quite a long article with a LARGE headline..........

in today's Tennessean. I don't watch the local news, so I don't know for sure, but I saw all three local channels out at the rally yesterday. I don't know if it's national, but it's definitely getting some local press.

[Travelman]

12. It headlined Channel 5 at 10:00 last night

They went there with the specific purpose of getting arrested. It was, in effect, civil disobedience.

[Blue_Tires]

16. sad but true...

[Bandit]

3. But he said the protesters went too far.

In what manner? By speaking out and protesting....How exactly did they go to far?

[socialist_n_TN]

5. He's a bullshit artist. As we all chanted at the governor's office.....

yesterday AFTER the rally. "LET US IN! THIS IS OUR HOUSE!" Thanks Wisconsin for the most popular chant of the day in my group. :)

[cui bono]

8. "professional agitators on spring break"

There are professionals who get a spring break?

Yet again, the right accuses the people of doing what they themselves have been proven to have done. The protesters are there because they believe in something, something like saving their livelihood. The people can't afford to pay anyone to protest. That's why they're protesting!

[socialist_n_TN]

9. Well at least he hasn't called us "outside agitators".........

...yet. :) I expect that's coming though. What was that Gandhi quote about "first they ignore you.." It seems we've pushed them past the "ignore" stage.

[socialist_n_TN]

13. I think I remember it now........

"First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. Then they fight you. They you win." Ramsey's at the "ridicule" stage now. He's more of a Teabagger than Haslem is. Douchebag. And that's an insult to douchebags everywhere. At least they have a purpose.

[trof]

15. "nomadic"?

Uh...they live in tents and herd sheep?
:rofl:

[socialist_n_TN]

4. Kick. Even in this deep red state there are folks........

willing to be arrested for what they believe in. That is what a NATIONAL movement looks like folks. AND we got more media exposure from this than we have for all the other 3 rallies combined.

These guys show us how to get noticed by the press.

[groundloop]

10. It's a MOVEMENT..... the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement

And friends, somewhere in Washington enshrined in some little folder, is a
study in black and white of my fingerprints. And the only reason I'm
singing you this song now is cause you may know somebody in a similar
situation, or you may be in a similar situation, and if your in a
situation like that there's only one thing you can do and that's walk into
the shrink wherever you are ,just walk in say "Shrink, You can get
anything you want, at Alice's restaurant.". And walk out. You know, if
one person, just one person does it they may think he's really sick and
they won't take him. And if two people, two people do it, in harmony,
they may think they're both faggots and they won't take either of them.
And three people do it, three, can you imagine, three people walking in
singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and walking out. They may think it's an
organization. And can you, can you imagine fifty people a day,I said
fifty people a day walking in singin a bar of Alice's Restaurant and
walking out. And friends they may thinks it's a movement.

And that's what it is , the Alice's Restaurant Anti-Massacre Movement, and
all you got to do to join is sing it the next time it come's around on the
guitar.

With feeling. So we'll wait for it to come around on the guitar, here and
sing it when it does. Here it comes.

You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant
You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant
Walk right in it's around the back
Just a half a mile from the railroad track
You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant





Anyway ..... Way to go in Tennessee!!!!!

[Omaha Steve]

11. I just saw this on MSNBC and was going to post it

That young man in a headlock by a trooper didn't look like a professional agitator to me.

K&R!

[Blue_Tires]

14. ttt