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Quick Reaction Force mobilized to state active duty Wednesday in response to a request for assistance from civil authorities in Dane County.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers today authorized the Wisconsin National Guard to support local law enforcement in Dane County in response to civil unrest in Madison last night. The governor announced this morning he was prepared to activate the Wisconsin National Guard to protect state buildings and infrastructure.

“The protests in Madison last night resulted in serious injury to bystanders as well as significant damage to state property,” said Gov. Evers. “The Wisconsin National Guard will serve in a limited authorization meant to make sure people can exercise their First Amendment rights while ensuring the safety of members of the public and state buildings and infrastructure.”

Pursuant to Section 321.39(1)(a) of the Wisconsin Statutes, the governor ordered into state active duty members of the Wisconsin National Guard deemed necessary to support to local law enforcement and first responders in Madison. Any members called to active duty may only be used to provide support to local law enforcement and to protect critical infrastructure and cultural institutions necessary for the well-being of the community, and to provide support to first responders such as the Madison Fire Department. The National Guard may not be used to impede the ability of people to peacefully protest or impede the ability of the media to report on this situation.

Elements of the Wisconsin National Guard's Quick Reaction Force mobilized to state active duty Wednesday in response to a request for assistance from civil authorities in Dane County. The Quick Reaction Force consists of troops trained to respond to state requests for emergency assistance on short notice. These requests begin and end at the local level and the Wisconsin National Guard serves in a support role as a resource that is available during times of emergency. The Wisconsin National Guard troops will serve in a support role to local authorities and conduct a site security mission.

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/covid-19-testing-troop-s5.jpgSEOC marks 100 days of activation, accomplishments essential to statewide efforts.

Violence against any person—whether in the middle of the street in broad daylight, at home trying to sleep, going for a run, or happening upon a protest as was the case last night—is wrong.

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers released the following statement regarding last night’s protests in Madison:

“What happened in Madison last night presented a stark contrast from the peaceful protests we have seen across our state in recent weeks, including significant damage to state property. I want to be clear: violence against any person—whether in the middle of the street in broad daylight, at home trying to sleep, going for a run, or happening upon a protest as was the case last night—is wrong. It should never be tolerated. Any single act of injustice against one person is less justice for all of us, and the people who committed these acts of violence will be held accountable. My thoughts are with Sen. Carpenter who was among the individuals attacked last night and wish him a quick recovery.

We also cannot allow ourselves to forget the reason why these protests began: because of the murder of George Floyd, of Breonna Taylor, of the many Black lives taken before them, and because racism and structural inequality still pervade this country. Our cause and our purpose must continue to be the pursuit of the promise of an equitable, just, and fair state and country, and we cannot delay delivering on these promises any longer.

We are assessing the damage to state property, including the State Capitol building, the surrounding area, and the Tommy G. Thompson Center. Both “Forward” and Col. Hans Christian Heg statues have been recovered. The Capitol Police Department responded to attempts to breach the State Capitol and were able to prevent additional penetration of the building. Additional resources from the Wisconsin State Patrol were also dispatched to provide support to the Madison Police Department.

We are prepared to activate the Wisconsin National Guard to protect state buildings and infrastructure and are continuing to work with local law enforcement to understand their response to last night’s events and their plan to respond to similar events in the future.”

http://newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/door-county-people-s5.jpgSen. Jeff Smith writes about the existing challenges farmers face when aging in rural Wisconsin.