Maxwell Love was among about 30 protesters who slept near the Assembly chambers Wednesday night, planning to make sure they could see their government in action when it met Thursday to vote on Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting legislation.
They stayed in the foyer of the Assembly chambers. But as dawn broke and the Assembly prepared to meet, they noticed an unusually large police presence. About 20 officers lined up outside the chambers while another eight moved into the foyer, standing between the protesters and the chamber room.
"All of a sudden about five state troopers came in," Love says. "They didn't say anything, they just came in and carried people out. They just dumped them on the other side. People started yelling."
The troopers came back and this time, told the protesters, "You can come with us or we're going to take you."
Some protesters sat down. "Some people went out writhing. Some of the people they just dragged across the police line. I wasn't going to get dragged out. I said, 'Okay I'll walk out.'"
Love claims that one older man had his glasses broken and was cut. He captured much of the event on video. It is an illustration of the increasing tension as the protests drag on.
