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Milwaukee: Action Hits Welfare Dept./Recruiters

By VVAW

Members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, Youth In Action and the Unemployed Workers Organizing Committee demonstrated on May 17th at the County Welfare Board (CWB) in Milwaukee to protest the turning over of the names of all males 18-30 years old to military recruiters.

Today with high unemployment among youth and vets, we are constantly bombarded with slick, well produced recruiting pitches for the military aimed at youth who are unemployed or working at less than survival wages. The rich in this country are gearing up for another war and they want the working class to provide the bodies.

This action on the part of the County Welfare Board is an obvious attempt to have the recruiters lure young people off the welfare rolls and into the military.

Upon hearing of this outrage, VVAW, YIA and UWOC gathered at the Board office. They began with a picket line, speaking to passersby by bullhorn and informing the public and press about this outrage.

Shortly after they arrived, they were able to meet with the Director of the CWB who had nothing to say outside of refusing to stop giving the names to local military recruiters.

Following the meeting, people from the various organizations remained in the hallway discussing this attack with welfare applicants. At this point the Sheriff's deputies attempted to cut off discussions by seizing a UWOC member and detaining him. They took him to a back room and slapped him around before releasing him without pressing any charges.

The attack upon the welfare recipients and upon the demonstrators has generated more activity.

Currently, charges have been filed against the deputies who illegally detained and struck the UWOC member. A citywide mobilization to force the County Welfare Board to stop releasing the names of the welfare males to the military recruiters is in motion.