Wisconsin town hall erupts over starvation of Palestinians. Republican Rep Bryan Steil faces his constituents in Elkhorn, WI, July 31, 2025. Done with Birds on a Wire, in collaboration with Milwaukee4Palestine.

Mary Redway was a real one. She was a Water Protector, a mom, wife, friend, ally, and fam to many. This week she passed away at the age of 74 after a long battle with breast cancer. She spent months at the resistance camps in Standing Rock, and continued to volunteer as the years went by. Mary lived a life of service with purpose, and she will be sorely missed.

I remember her always being there for others, including me, these last ten years.

A few days after Treaty Camp Raid in 2016 it finally hit me what I had witnessed - the violent settler colonial history repeating itself and a gut wrenching feeling there was nothing I could do about it. It was Mary who was next to me as I broke down for the first time looking out from the hill.

She was a camp mom, an auntie, and was as surprisingly funny as she was tough. She worked on the legal team defending Water Protectors and Indigenous Rights for years following the camps’ raids by militarized police. 

Mary was one of the first people sentenced to jail post conviction in the Standing Rock movement. I interviewed her shortly after she was released in 2017.

She never wanted to make it about her, but the judge sentencing her and Alex to jail made the point that a fear of the colonizer, the extractive industries, and greedy is: the alliance of all people. 

“This movement has been a matter of saying enough is enough. It touches on many different levels which somehow strengthens the fight that we’re fighting. You have the fight for the water and the land. The fight for indigenous rights. The fight for the white people to honor the treaties that were made. 

It’s a fight for the land owners who are forced through eminent domain, which is meant for the public good not the corporate good. It says that this is the correct course. You put us in jail, you cannot silence us” 

The Indigenous led movement at Standing Rock made history, and stories are still being written. 

Thank you Mary for being such a good soul. Mni Wiconi, Pilamayaye. Sending positive vibes and care to your family and loved ones. She was a dog in this fight. 

@williamryanfritchmusic 🎵
@josh_evert_ 🎵

Living with a Data Center / Pollution Center / A.I. Center. Dean, of the Town of Port Washington describes what it’s been like living about a mile from the construction of Vantage’s Oracle and Open A.I. center on the coast of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin.

“It sounds like there’s a train running right outside my house”

Dean shares his experience living with the light, the noise, and the vibrations that are coming with the construction of one of the largest Pollution Centers being built in the United States. 

Powerful low frequency vibrations - infrasound - are extremely common with these, and studies have proven infrasound negatively affects health - causing physiological responses, headaches, dizziness, nausea, anxiety and sleep deprivation.

“It’s a rural area, and there was lots of wildlife, and it’s all been killed or pushed to the outskirts”.

Dean shares concerns about his well water, the foundations/value of his home, and speaks about his frustration with the Town of Port, the City of Port, and Vantage as he has shared his concerns with them but “No amount of complaining has worked with anybody. You really feel like you’re isolated and have no recourse”

This was filmed in spring of this year. Construction of the Vantage built center for Oracle (billionaire owner Larry Ellison) / Open AI (billionaire CEO Sam Altman) continues.

🎶 @williamryanfritchmusic
📽️ @klettocracy

Francesca Hong, candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, rallies in South Milwaukee. She has a big lead heading into the Democratic primary, and has the chance to become the first Democratic Socialist, the first woman, and the first Asian-American Governor of Wisconsin.

If Hong wins the primary, her challenger will be Republican Tom Tiffany. Tiffany, a staunch ally of Trump, voted to overturn 2020 election results and still won’t admit Trump lost the election. 

Hong spoke for 17 minutes to a crowd of about 1300 and the full unedited speech can be found on YouTube. Link in bio.

#vote #election #wisconsin #dsa #democracy

@mkedsa @dsamadison @francescahongwi

The Police Chief went to Israel to receive “counter-terrorism” training. Milwaukee shared how they felt about this on 1/22/2026 at the Fire & Police Commission. Comments included imploring MPD to not cooperate with ICE but to prepare for their invasion and protect the people in Milwaukee, to bring an end to the police chase protocol, to end MPD use of facial recognition technology, and to never work with the occupying apartheid state of Israel and their genocidal regime.

@codepinkmke @milwaukee4palestine @milwaukeealliance@wibopm @reproductivejusticeaction @blocbyblocmke

Dec 2 - Published with More Perfect Union. Christine Lejeune was aggressively arrested by Port Washington Police after testifying against the Oracle (A.I.) and Open AI Data Center proposal in Port Washington, WI. This 15 billion dollar Vantage built facility will use more power than every household in Wisconsin combined, and is one of many proposed Data Centers in the cool state, located on flat land on the shores of Lake Michigan. 

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Much, and likely most, of the public oppose this controversial A.I. Data Center for a myriad of reasons yet it is supported by Mayor Ted Neitzke and the Common Council.

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Many in town and across the state have joined small grassroots organizations like Christine's Great Lakes Neighbors United. 

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Christine did not interrupt anyone, and said "Recall, Recall" of the Mayor as she sat down while the entire crowd applauded for her. The Police Chief Hingiss came over and said she needed to leave. She was calm and said "I left" (referring to the podium) She was then pulled from her chair, dragged on the ground, and arrested along with two others.

The Police Chief went to Israel to receive “counterterrorism” training. 

Hear from local Palestinians about the impact of the chief’s training and warnings from the Palestinian experience about what comes next if these deadly exchanges aren’t banned now.

Milwaukee shared how they felt about this on 1/22/2026 at the Fire & Police Commission. 

Residents implored MPD to not cooperate with ICE but to prepare for their invasion and protect the people in Milwaukee, to bring an end to the police chase protocol, to end MPD use of facial recognition technology, and to never work with the occupying apartheid state of Israel and their genocidal regime.

@milwaukee4palestine @blocbyblocmke
@milwaukeealliance @wibopm @milwaukeealliance@codepinkmke @uspcnmke @uspcn @comitesinfronteras@wearthepeace @williamryanfritchmusic

Wisconsin Town Hall erupts over Trump agenda and Republican policies at Congressman Bryan Steil’s (R) “Listening Session” in Elkhorn, July 31 2025. After months of his constituents’ requests for him to host a town hall, the people told him how it is. Done with Birds on a Wire, collaborated with Wisconsin Coalition for Justice in Palestine, Comite Sin Fronteras, Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

“Hands Off!” Milwaukee. Happy 414 day. Like the rest of the country, the people showed up here on April 5th in the thousands. This is what was said & seen. Part 1/7

Milwaukee Fire & Police Commissioners Krissie Fung & Bree Spencer deliver comments against MPD’s plans to acquire licenses to use their own facial recognition technology through the private company Biometrica.

Milwaukee City Hall
Equal Rights Commission
06/18/25

“I’m speaking in opposition to Milwaukee Police Department’s plans to acquire their own facial recognition technology. 630 people and counting have signed this statement addressed to you all at the Equal Rights Commission”, Heba Mohammad of Milwaukee4Palestine then reads a letter signed by now over 740 people opposing the use of facial rec tech by MPD. 

Milw City Hall
Equal Rights Commission
6/18/2025

Press Conference 2/2 - The UWM Popular University for Palestine. 5/13/2024. Falasteen Lawn, Milwaukee WI

“My worry is that we are repeating history here”. The granddaughter of Japanese-American citizens and their families who were all put in the Japanese internment camps speaks to Republican Congressman Bryan Steil at his listening session in Elkhorn, WI.

Rep Steil: I don’t see the parallel that you are sharing."

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ICE is using a former Japanese internment camp as a detention center. This camp - Fort Bliss - was once used to imprison people of Japanese descent. The horrors of the past are now the present.

“Alligator Alcatraz is a concentration camp. The difference between a concentration camp and a prison or detention center is due process”

Made with LuAnn Bird and Birds on a Wire bowresist.com

Done with Luann Bird and Birds on a Wire. "Remember the days when childbirth was a preexisting condition? We don't want to go back to that." Julie with the breast cancer mutation. Tiffany takes care of her 24 year old daughter. "These services aren't nice to have. They are a necessity." Chloe said, "...everyone cannot afford healthcare. I know I can't. I can barely afford rent."
This is what will happen if that Big Bad Budget bill passes. Call your US Senator! Stop the cuts!

Navy Veteran flocked over a hundred times after filing a complaint against the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department. 

Napoleon Jones was illegally arrested by Deputy Shayhorn, and after spending 5 hours in jail Jones was released with no charges and filed the complaint against the department. During litigation in his lawsuit, it was revealed that the lieutenant of Waukesha Sheriff’s Department ordered over 100 flock searches on Jones’ vehicle. 

This began when Napoleon Jones filmed a traffic stop with his phone in Sussex Wisconsin from a private business parking lot. The Deputy, conducting the stop, Shayhorn, approached Jones and arrested him for resisting and obstructing an officer. Documents from the Sheriff’s office conceded that the traffic stop was not legal because it occurred in a private business parking lot. 

Jones filed a federal lawsuit on December 1, 2025, against Waukesha County, the Village of Lisbon, and Deputy Shayhorn. Jones’ lawsuit alleges violations of the 4th and 14th amendments - unreasonable search, seizure, and false arrest. Lack of Probable Cause. Targeted retaliation and electronic tracking after filing a grievance. 

Jones shared his story to the Milwaukee Fire & Police Commission (FPC) on Thursday, Sept 3rd, during their public comment on flock cameras. The FPC no longer has oversight on police policy of Milwaukee, due to Act 12, which gave full power of police policy to the Police Chief. For policy to be changed, the Milwaukee Common Council must vote 2/3 to change it. 

Many citizens have made it clear, they don’t want surveillance tools to be used by MPD. Hundreds packed the room, and overflow room, to deliver statements calling for a ban on all flock cameras and an end to the surveillance state. 

Cities in Wisconsin that have ended contracts with Flock: Sheboygan, Stevens Point, Oshkosh, Stougton, Verona, Fitchburg, Monona, Sturgeon Bay, Kenosha. 

The MPD Chief trained in Israel, a genocidal state occupying Palestine. The surveillance state and tools of Israel are not wanted in Milwaukee. A police chief who trained with a genocidal state shouldn’t be in charge of police policy.

Francesca Hong goes of on Tom Tiffany, Republican candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, & describes how she can defeat him.

This was the final time all Democratic candidates were on stage together - at the Gubernatorial Data Center Town Hall put on by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

The primary election in Wisconsin is this week Tuesday, August 11th. 

The Journal’s moderator asked, “Do you believe everyone on the stage can defeat Tom Tiffany in November?” Hong replied with this.

Living with a Data Center. Amanda Mueller of the Town of Port Washington, WI, lives less than a half mile from one of the largest Data Center construction sites in the country - The Vantage Oracle/OpenAI Hyperscale Data Center on the coast of Lake Michigan.

Amanda shares her experience of living with the data center and its construction - the light, noise, dust, chemicals. She’s no stranger to data centers, having lived in San Antonio, TX before moving to Port Washington, WI. 

Big Court Day involving Data Centers in Port Washington, WI. This directly relates to how the City has handled matters related to the proposed data center, particularly with respect to transparency, process, and the lawful exercise of authority.

This hearing of an action brought by the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) challenging Great Lakes Neighbors United Tax Incremental District (TID) ordinance, on February 23rd.

GNLU’s brought a TID ordinance to give the people a voice in approving large tax incentives for developers - including but not limited to Data Centers.

“People have a right to vote. Any voting is first amendment speech,” Judge Gerol Ozaukee County

In a significant ruling, Judge Adam Gerol rejected the business groups’ (MMAC) motion for a preliminary injunction. The Court determined it would be inappropriate to halt an election or rule on the constitutionality of a hypothetical ordinance that has not yet become law.

However, Judge Gerol noted that the Court may revisit this case if the ordinance is voted on by the majority of the Port Washington community.

“I asked the City plainly whether they represented the interests of the proponents of the ordinance or of the public, and they indicated that they did not”

Attorney Jon Smise of the firm Godfrey & Kahn represented Milwaukee Association of Commerce challenged Great Lakes Neighbors United.

Later than day, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel hosted a Data Center Town Hall in Milwaukee. Attorney Arthur Harrington, also of Godfrey & Kahn - the firm representing MMAC against GLNU’s ordinance - spoke at this town hall as an expert. He’s not an attorney representing MMAC, but on the Godfrey & Kahn website he is listed as “Of Counsel”, “member of the firm’s environmental and energy practices…serves as a mediator in environmental disputes”

Thousands of residents gathered and marched through Milwaukee in solidarity with Minneapolis, immigrant communities, and the people of Turtle Island demanding that ICE get out.

This was organized by the ICE Out of Milwaukee Coalition, which includes: @milwaukeealliance @comitesinfronteras@vocesdelafrontera @mke.labor @milwaukeeturners @frso_wi@nokingsmke MICAH |southwest wisconsin indivisible | milwaukee teachers education association.

temperature outside: 13F

📷@klettocracy
aerial vid @brianslawsonphotography
🎵@williamryanfritchmusic

"There's genius here".

The Reverend met with Water Protectors at the resistance camps against the Dakota Access Pipeline on 10/26/2016. 

A.I. Data Center Construction Site: Port Washington, WI. 

Vantage’s monstrosity on the coast of Lake Michigan just ~30 miles north of Milwaukee is set to house Oracle & OpenAI. 

The very controversial - Nobody Wants This - data center is allowed to be built 24/7 by the Port Washington Common Council and Mayor. A recall effort of the Mayor is well underway with over half of necessary signatures signed. 

Learn more about the resistance to it and how you can support at @greatlakesneighborsunited and www.SavePortWashington.com

The annual meeting video. Made for their event and in different formats on socials. For outreach and bringing people to join.

The Milwaukee Police Dept met with the Equal Rights Commission to discuss MPD’s plans to acquire their own facial recognition technology (FRT) from private company Biometrica. In return, Biometrica would receive all images from MPD booking data. 

06/18/2025
Milw City Hall
Equal Rights Commission

"Artists in a place like Milwaukee help remind people how to dream."

Photographer and videographer Samer Ghani reflects on the opportunities alive within Milwaukee's artistic scene, and how Cactus Club and Cactus +'s diverse and inclusive programming embodies community care, and represents the future of what Milwaukee's larger arts and culture can look like. (editor, broll Cactus Club footage)

Thousands of people showed up to @berniesanders’ “Fight Oligarchy” rally in #Kenosha, Wisconsin. Done with Laura Flanders and Friends. 3/10/25

The Nunnery performs ‘Night Dream Cloud’. “Sometimes your day is a little bit in the back of your mind. And this song is just kind of, I made it to release that, and just be, be present….thank you so much everyone for everything, I’m excited for the next thing,” Sarah Elstran closes out her set opening for Collection of Colonies of Bees album release show, along with Solid Gold at Vivarium in Milwaukee - 5/31/25

Karen Urrutia Polnitz, a writer, activist, and educator of Madison, WI testifies against proposed legislation (Assembly Bill 24 | Senate Bill 57) that would allow Sheriff assistance on federal immigration functions to the Wisconsin State Licensing, Regulatory Reform, State & Federal Affairs Committee on May 13, 2025, at the State Capitol. 

Collaboration with Families for Justice, Milwaukee Alliance, Comite Sin Fronteras

On the commemoration of the ongoing Nakba, the catastrophe, we hear from someone who was there 77 years ago - when the forced removal of Palestinians from their sovereign land began. Over a hundred people rallied outside Derco Aerospace, a company profiteering from the genocide in Palestine.

Derco is a Lockheed Martin company that has contracts to repair, store, and distribute engine parts that keep Zionist fighter jets in the air. 

Wisconsinites from a wide range of communities gathered and shared their stories, to bring an end to this ongoing massacre, and demand Derco to stop supplying weapons of genocide. Collaboration with Milwaukee4Palestine, CodePinkMilwaukee