The Michigan House passed a second anti-union bill, this one affecting private sector workers, by a 58 to 52 vote Tuesday afternoon. Republicans quickly asked for reconsideration, forestalling Democrats in making the same move so that Republicans would have more control moving forward. Protesters thronged the capitol area, with police estimating 15,000 people protesting. Some engaged in peaceful civil disobedience outside Gov. Rick Snyder's office; some were planning to spend the night. At least two protesters have been arrested and police say at least one protester has been pepper sprayed. Since former Rep. Mark Schauer has been pepper sprayed, and says he wasn't alone in that. Since it's unlikely that there was just one guy pepper sprayed, he happened to be a former member of the United State House, and he lied about other people being sprayed, it seems police aren't yet admitting to the extent of force they're using.
I think this rally speaks for itself. People are here to scream and holler and speak and make noise, trying to get the attention of Governor Snyder and the Republican legislature. Nothing else has worked. This is a peaceful demonstration where people are exercising their first amendment rights. No one was contacting the building, touching the building, endangering the building in any way. It's unfortunate that some of us were pepper sprayed. It was not necessary.With passage of the second bill by the House, the focus of the protest has shifted to Snyder, who has said he will sign the bills quickly.
11:19 AM PT: It's not generally good news when police don't want photographers on hand to document things:
Police just made anyone with a camera leave the Romney building area #saveMI #1u— @jeffrae via Twitter for iPhone And:
Crowd outside Romney building just got tear gassed— @evale72 via Echofon
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