They came in thousands, from the dairy farms of Oshkosh, from the city centers of Milwaukee and Eau Claire and from high schools in Madison, all in an attempt to give Wisconsinites a glimpse at what their state would look like without Latinos.
An estimated 20,000 protesters crowded the Capitol Square Thursday to protest two bills moving through the state Legislature they say are discriminatory.
The first bill, approved Tuesday by the state Assembly, would cut state funding from cities that don’t enforce immigration statutes in an effort to crack down on so-called sanctuary cities.
The other would prohibit the issuance of local photo identification cards that citizens can show to law enforcement. That bill has been sent to Gov. Scott Walker, who has not indicated whether he will sign it.
Supporters of the bills say they would increase public safety and streamline existing laws, but the opponents who flooded Madison say they are anti-immigrant and attack a population that is already discriminated against.
“Most of the immigrants in this state hide in the shadows and now we would be afraid to leave our homes,” said Madison West student Michael Portillo.
Chanting “Sí, se puede” (yes, we can) and “Wisconsin is not Arizona,” referring to that state’s controversial immigration laws, the protesters represented one of the biggest movements seen at the Capitol since the Act 10 protests of 2011.
Many waved flags of Mexico, Ecuador, Uruguay and other nations and played drums and noisemakers. Latin music wafted in the air outside and occasionally drowned out debate in the state Assembly chambers.
A few photos from #DiaSinLatinosEnWisconsin #DailyCardinal pic.twitter.com/nipBqeJzJF
— Betsy Osterberger (@BetsyOPhoto) February 18, 2016
The protest was entitled “A Day Without Latinos and Immigrants” and the goal of the movement was to emphasize the reliance the state’s economy has on those populations.
Restaurants and businesses announced they would close in solidarity with staff members who attended the protest and farmers throughout the state expressed concern about the effect their workers' absence would have on dairy production.
Protester Cerxio Guerrero said that most don’t understand the important role Latino workers play in the state’s economy.
“Our economy would be ruined [without Latinos],” Guerrero said. “[Latinos and immigrants] work jobs that others don’t want to.”
Leaders of the movement said they were optimistic that legislators would hear their voices.
“We all came out as a community,” said protester Estiven Zhen. “We think our voices will be heard.”
Jake Skubish and Jason Snyder contributed to this report.
"It doesn't matter where you're from or what color you are, this is important."#daywithoutlatinos pic.twitter.com/H6W8CETFz9
— Jake Skubish (@jake_skubish) February 18, 2016
