Wisconsin police arrest a child for singing in the Capitol

Wisconsin Capitol police arrest a child for singing. 

Wisconsin Capitol police today arrested a child for singing in the Capitol Rotunda during the third day of a crackdown on singing. The small boy joins two 80-year-olds, two journalists and a Marine veteran arrested for singing songs that Job-killer Gov. Scott Walker doesn't like.

The Associated Press reported,

For a third straight day, police arrested protesters gathered inside the Wisconsin Capitol on Friday, cracking down on the sing-along organized by opponents of Republican Gov. Scott Walker's administration. 

More than a dozen people were led away in handcuffs, bringing the three-day total of those arrested to more than 60. There was no end in sight to the standoff, as protesters pledged to return every weekday and sing without the required permit. 

"Every day at noon we're going to be here. We're not going away," a group sang Friday to the tune of the gospel song "I'll Fly Away."

blue cheddar tells us The Madison National Lawyers Guild says the police are distorting a judge's ruling to justify the arrests, which violate free speech rights:

All the singers and others present arrested Wednesday were charged with violating an administrative code provision that describes what kind of activity would justify a declaration of an “unlawful event” by Capitol Police. Yet no access was blocked to any part of the building, and no violence, threats of violence or any interference with the operations of state government during the lunch hour singing was observed during the event, which has continued for over two years every weekday in or outside the Capitol. The tickets merely listed “No Permit” as the basis for getting a citation, and when citizens asked why they were being arrested, Capitol police, state troopers and DNR wardens told them they would “find out downstairs,” but no further explanation was offered. Agents of the Wisconsin Dept. of Justice Criminal Investigations unit were called in to help process the large number of people arrested.

Meanwhile, the Center for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Walker as one of the worst governors in America. CREW is hardly a partisan outfit. The group has disagreed with President Obama and electronic surveillance issues. The Cap Times reports on why Walker earned his distinction:

1. Using his office to promote donors’ interests.
2. Illegally using state troopers to track down his political opponents.
3. An investigation into illegal activity by his aides.
4. Diverting money from a nationwide mortgage settlement.
5. An investigation into the state economic development corporation he chairs.
6. Dismissing a political appointee for signing the recall petition against him.
7. Advocating for new voter identification restrictions.

And now we can add making sure police arrest a child for singing...