Pro-Union Website 'Defend Wisconsin' Blocked In Capitol

A website being used to help organize protests against Gov. Scott Walker in Wisconsin has been blocked from the Capitol Building in Madison, according to reports.

The site, http://www.defendwisconsin.org/, was inaccessible from the building on Monday and into Tuesday morning, CNN reported.

According to ThinkProgress:

If you are in the Capitol attempting to access the internet from a free wifi connection labeled “guest,” you cannot access the site defendwisconsin.org. The site has been used to provide updates on what is happening, where you can volunteer, and where supplies and goods are needed to support protesters. Administrators of the website were notified on Monday that the page is being blocked

Wisconsin Democrats were quick to blame Walker and Republican lawmakers for causing the outage. Wisconsin Democratic Party press secretary Graeme Zielinski said: "In a direct assault on the First Amendment, Scott Walker's administration is blocking access in the Wisconsin Capitol to opposition websites."

State Department of Administration spokeswoman Carla Vigue said in response to the allegations, "DOA's security software automatically blocked the site, as it does all new websites."

But according to Michael Tate, chairman of the Democratic Party of Website, the DOA explanation is not sufficient, as the site had been working previously but has been blocked in the Capitol Building since Friday.

Tate said of the development, "(Apparently Governor Walker) feels comfortable blocking the First Amendment right of protesters at the exact time that they are exercising their First Amendment right. This is undemocratic and this is un-American."

CNN has audio of Tate responding to the alleged blocking.

LISTEN:

Comments

[mari blando-kvam]

04:07 PM on 03/16/2011

What country is this? Now they, the Republicans, blocked access to computer web-page? Sounds like a dictator has taken over the Wisconsin. I hope Scott Walker has stired enough free thinking people to start calling for his recall. This is not America! Marian -blando kvam

[like-mind]

11:10 AM on 02/24/2011

"Mubarak, O My Brother!" says Scott Walker. "I watch you, Ghadafi, and Achmadinejad, and learn how to rule with an iron fist and get exactly what I want!"

[lcole3]

10:37 AM on 02/24/2011

Is this act an infringement upon citizens' freedom of speech rights under the first amendment?
www.matterofopinion.com

[WaSkiva]

09:45 AM on 02/24/2011

Adding up these folks and their tactics, are becoming what they would prefer we all fear......

[Bruce Malachuk]

06:36 PM on 02/23/2011

"Within 30 minutes of being notified this website was blocked, DOA circumvented the software and immediately made the website accessible." Ky fact left out by the Huffington Post people. That is quoted right from the CNN article, but of course it was left out here in an effort to gin something up.

[Whatchutalkinabout]

08:53 AM on 02/24/2011

Are you saying HP will leave out content to shape a mindset. Never.

[LawrenceRoth]

05:51 PM on 02/23/2011

Has Walker now authorized censorship?

Dude, anything else you want to do to make that grave deeper?

[leannk]

05:01 PM on 02/23/2011

I believe Walker made his true intentions obvious when he wouldn't compromise on the "collective bargaining rights". He is trying to rule his state like a true dictator.

[Ninotchka KS]

04:40 PM on 02/23/2011

This is disturbingly similar to TASS, during the time of the USSR. It appears that the Koch bros will do anything to erase the rights of capitalism for the citizens of the US and end democracy as we know it. We can NOT let them win!!

[Jeffrey Barrett]

03:52 PM on 02/23/2011

So Much for freedom of the press.....Doesn't this sound like Egypt? or China? oh, wait, the republicans are moving people in that direction....

[ZeraLee]

11:01 PM on 02/23/2011

Tehran

[WaSkiva]

09:47 AM on 02/24/2011

Their direction is anywhere that resembles the 3rd world countries we never heard anything good about.

[BBROWN69]

03:20 PM on 02/23/2011

Isn't this the same tactic that was employed by the Egyptian Government in an attempt to stop the Demonstrators? What next, oh ya I forgot Live Ammunition!

[loeska]

03:04 PM on 02/23/2011

Well, that's one example of the so-called freedom-loving GOP using its power to
restrict the liberty of Americans.

[WaSkiva]

09:49 AM on 02/24/2011

"So called freedom loving GOP"
In order to get the full meaning, reverse what they are trying to put over
9 times out of 10, that is the true intent.

[FarOutFish]

02:03 PM on 02/23/2011

If the site was blocked intentionally because of it's content it's a violation of the first amendment. If as State Department of Administration spokeswoman Carla Vigue says is true and it was blocked as any other new site, it's just stupid.