1||February 18, 2011: After Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) introduced legislation to drastically roll back public employee unions’ rights, all 14 of the state’s Democratic Senators hit the road, leaving the Senate without a quorum — the number of legislators necessary for the Senate to take any action.
On Thursday, the Senate chamber in Madison, Wisconsin remained empty. Until at least one Democratic legislator returns, the Senate can’t move forward with the bill. ||Mark Hoffman/MCT/Newscom&&
2||Protesters pounded on the Senate doors on Thursday. Thousands of people have poured into Madison’s streets this week in opposition to the bill, which would eliminate almost all collective bargaining powers from the state’s public employees. ||Mark Hoffman/MCT/Newscom&&
3||Before leaving the state, Wisconsin State Sen. Lena Taylor (D) posted a coy message on her Facebook wall that read, in its entirety, “brb.” ||Michael Sears/MCT/Newscom&&
4||Demonstrators again flooded the state Capitol building on Thursday, as they have done since Tuesday. ||Tom Lynn/MCT/Newscom&&
5||Thousands more rallied outside, some of them chanting “Kill the Bill.” ||flickr.com/newlow&&
6||One man dressed as Captain America. No word on whether he used his boomerang shield to slice through the bill. ||flickr.com/newlow&&
7||Some protesters made creative signs to express their opposition||flickr.com/newlow&&
8||||Other protesters held simpler signage. ||Kristyna Wentz-Graff/MCT/Newscom&&
9||||flickr.com/paulbaker&&
10||flickr.com/newlow&&
11||||flickr.com/newlow&&
