some cops join Wisconsin protesters, while other are ready to bust 'em

Posted on: Sat, 02/26/2011 - 15:06 By: Tom Swiss

Things may get very interesting in Wisconsin over the next 24 hours or so.

Wire reports say that Wisconsin police plan to clear protesters out of the Wisconsin Capitol on Sunday at 4 p.m. In the words of one protest organizer, "I'm pretty sure there will be people unwilling to leave the building on their own two feet."

The president of the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Association (WLEA)'s executive board, Tracy Fuller, says that police would "absolutely" carry out any order given to them, even using force against peaceful protesters, whether they agree or disagree policies being protested.

The very very interesting part comes from the fact that some of those protesters are cops. The Wisconsin Professional Police Association (WPPA)'s Executive Director, Jim Palmer, has requested members from across the state to come to the Capitol and join the occupation. "Law enforcement officers know the difference between right and wrong, and Governor Walker’s attempt to eliminate the collective voice of Wisconsin’s devoted public employees is wrong...That is why we have stood with our fellow employees each day and why we will be sleeping among them tonight."

According to Ryan Harvey, yesterday "Hundreds of cops have just marched through the center of the capitol to show solidarity. Massive applause. So much for the 4 pm deadline." Rainforest Action Network's "The Understory" has more info and video of a police union spokesman rallying protestors.

USAToday reports that today, hundreds of off-duty officers and deputies joined protests against Walker's attempt to strip unions of collective bargaining rights.

(Background on Walker and his billionaire backers, the Kochs, attempt to kill unions here.)

So what's going to happen if the order comes down to clear the protesters? Will pro-union cops try to talk other pro-union protesters into walking away? Will "I was only following orders" cops drag fellow LEOs out of the building?

What happens tomorrow at 4 p.m. in Madison may determine America's future.