Capitol Protests 2011 Oral History Project

Introduction

The 2011 Wisconsin or “Capitol Protests” were a series of demonstrations in Madison, Wisconsin beginning in February 2011. At at its peek, as many as 100,000 protesters opposing the 2011 Wisconsin Act 10, also called the “Wisconsin Budget Repair bill,” gathered on Capitol Square and other locations in downtown Madison.

Anti-tax activists and other conservatives, including Tea Party advocates, launched smaller counter protests. The protests centered on the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison. Demonstrations took place at various college campuses, including the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

After the collective bargaining bill was upheld by the Wisconsin Supreme Court on June 14, 2011 the number of protesters declined.

Collecting Work

In an effort to capture stories and memories of the Capitol Protests while they were still fresh in people’s minds, Oral Historian Troy Reeves, along with several graduate students, initiated this project to collect interviews with graduate students, faculty and staff, as well as other Madison residents impacted by this event.

Project Process

In summer 2015, student staff processed many of the interviews using Pop Up Archive and OHMS (Oral History Metadata Synchronizer). These tools offer enhanced access to many of these interviews. We hope to continue using those tools to provide improved access to all the oral histories in this project.

The following list includes processed interviews. Click on the link to access an interview’s audio, summary, and—if available—transcript. To learn more about the non-linked interviews contact Oral History Program head, Troy Reeves.

Many thanks to UW-Madison’s iSchool students for their work on this project: Melissa Schultz, Katlyn Griffin, and Carolina Hernandez.

Interviews

View a gallery of images that document the Wisconsin budget repair bill protests in February 2011.

View a Timeline of the 2011 Occupation of the Wisconsin State Capitol, compiled and organized by Harriet Rowan using Timeline JS.