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Draft:Brandon Barwick

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: All of the coverage of him is in the context of his organisation apart from one interview, which isn't independent. Is there any coverage of him outside of his organisation? SportingFlyer T·C 13:43, 25 January 2026 (UTC)
  • Comment: For the early life section, where did you get the info for the first paragraph? ("Barwick was born and raised in Janesville, Wisconsin, and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in geography from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.") Do any of the sources you cited mention this information about Barwick? S.G. (They/Them) (Talk) (Contributions) 22:38, 30 December 2025 (UTC)

Brandon Barwick is an American activist and former political candidate from Wisconsin.[1][2] He received media coverage for his involvement in First Amendment legal challenges related to his role as a conductor of the Solidarity Sing Along, a long-running musical protest at the Wisconsin State Capitol.[3][4][5][6][7] The Sing Along began during the 2011 Wisconsin Act 10 protests and continued for several years as a music-centered form of political expression in Madison.[3][8][9][10] In the years following the 2012 Wisconsin gubernatorial recall election, media coverage frequently identified Barwick as a conductor of the group during a period of disputes over enforcement of Capitol protest rules and permit regulations, including multiple related court cases in which he was named as a party.[4][11][12][13][14][7] He later received coverage as a candidate in the 2015 Madison mayoral election.[1][2]

Electoral activity

[edit]

Presidential elector

[edit]

In the 2012 United States presidential election, Barwick was listed on Wisconsin's 2012 Certificate of Ascertainment as a presidential elector for the Socialist Equality Party.[15]

2015 Madison mayoral campaign

[edit]

In October 2014, Barwick announced his candidacy for mayor of Madison and received coverage in multiple local media outlets describing his campaign positions during the nonpartisan race.[1][2][16][17][18][19] Media coverage outlined his platform priorities, including expanded public art, improved services for homeless and low-income residents, downtown storage lockers, and enhanced public transportation.[1][2] In the April 7, 2015 general election, incumbent Madison mayor Paul Soglin was re-elected.[20]

Activism

[edit]

Solidarity Sing Along

[edit]

As a response to Governor Scott Walker’s "Budget Repair Bill" (Wisconsin Act 10), the Solidarity Sing Along began in March 2011 as a recurring, music-based protest in which participants gathered inside the Wisconsin State Capitol to sing protest songs, labor anthems, and adapted folk music, emphasizing collective singing as a form of political dissent.[21][3][22][4][13] The Sing Along was held every weekday during the noon hour at the Capitol leading up to the June 5, 2012 recall election.[21][22]

As participation declined following the recall election, the weekday Sing Along continued, and its sustained presence drew heightened attention from Capitol authorities and media outlets.[21][22][4][13][5][23] Beginning in September 2012, Capitol Police increased enforcement of permit requirements for gatherings inside the Capitol, issuing citations to individuals whom police described as conductors of the Solidarity Sing Along.[4][11][24][13][23]

[edit]

Between 2012 and 2015, the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) enforced permit requirements for groups of 20 or more in the Capitol, with enforcement occurring intermittently throughout this time.[13][25][4][24] Barwick was among the Solidarity Sing Along participants arrested and cited during this period and was repeatedly identified in court filings and media coverage as a conductor of the group, appearing as a named party in several related legal challenges concerning First Amendment rights and the constitutionality of the permit rules.[7][14][9][26][5][27][6][28]

During this period, Barwick was involved in organizing the First Amendment Protection Fund, a grassroots legal defense fund that provided financial assistance to activists facing court-related costs associated with Solidarity Sing Along citations.[7][29]

During pretrial proceedings in early 2013, Dane County Circuit Judge Nicholas McNamara disclosed his prior participation in anti-nuclear protests and offered to recuse himself. Both the prosecution and defense declined, and the case continued before McNamara.[6]

As legal challenges progressed and citations were increasingly dismissed by prosecutors and courts, a January 2015 ruling by the Wisconsin Court of Appeals (District IV) invalidated key applications of the Capitol permitting policy for violating First Amendment protections, leading to the dismissal of most of the remaining cases brought under the rules, including citations issued against Solidarity Sing Along participants identified as conductors.[30][10]

References

[edit]
  1. 1 2 3 4 Godar, Bryna (October 21, 2014). "Solidarity Singers conductor running for mayor". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Solidarity Singer Enters Race For Mayor". wortfm.org. WORT 89.9FM. October 23, 2014. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Ramde, Dinesh (November 24, 2012). "Singers continue long Wis. tradition of protest". Associated Press. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Elbow, Steven (October 18, 2012). "Crime and Courts: Capitol police turning up the heat on singalong leaders". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Peters, Mark (April 16, 2013). "Fight Over Singalongs Reaches Crescendo". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Elbow, Steven (February 13, 2013). "Judge offers to recuse himself in Capitol sing-along case because of his own protest past". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Some Capitol singers request jury trials". Channel 3000. August 12, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  8. ↑ "Capitol singers continue long tradition of protest". Channel 3000. November 25, 2012. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  9. 1 2 Davidoff, Judith (March 21, 2013). "More Wisconsin Capitol protest tickets dismissed but state prosecutors forge on". Isthmus. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  10. 1 2 CBS58 Staff (January 30, 2015). "Court ruling favors Capitol singers". CBS58. Retrieved January 18, 2026.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. 1 2 Elbow, Steven (September 26, 2012). "Capitol Police chief's crackdown on protesters appears to be backfiring". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  12. ↑ Elbow, Steven (September 11, 2012). "Crime and Courts: Police change tactics, begin to cite protesters at their homes". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 Johnson, Shawn (September 14, 2012). "Capitol Police Chief Targets Protest Leaders". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  14. 1 2 Elbow, Steven (January 22, 2013). "Court ruling could mean sing-along participants get a break". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  15. ↑ "Wisconsin Certificate of Ascertainment 2012" (PDF). Electoral College. National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  16. ↑ "7 officially file to run for Madison mayor". Channel 3000. January 6, 2015. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Former Dane County supervisor announces run for mayor". Channel 3000. December 11, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  18. ↑ Godar, Bryna (October 16, 2014). "First Madison mayoral candidate forum announced — for January". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
  19. ↑ Reigstad, Logan (October 21, 2014). "UW graduate announces bid for Madison Mayor". The Badger Herald. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Madison mayor re-elected in landslide". WLUK-TV (Fox 11 Online). Associated Press. April 8, 2015. Retrieved February 13, 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 O'Brien, Michael S. (2014). "Wisconsin's Solidarity Sing Along: Making Old Labor Songs New". Smithsonian Folkways Magazine. Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. Retrieved January 27, 2026.
  22. 1 2 3 Stein, Jason (August 27, 2012). "Frequent Capitol protesters face crackdown". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  23. 1 2 "Solidarity Sing Along avoids crackdown... for now". Internet Archive. WTDY News. August 29, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2026.
  24. 1 2 Elbow, Steven (November 27, 2012). "Capitol crackdown fades; police say only four citations issued so far this month". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  25. ↑ Elbow, Steven (July 9, 2013). "Judge rules Capitol permit policy unconstitutional for groups under 20". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Wisconsin: ACLU sues over Capitol crackdown on singing protesters". Associated Press. February 10, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  27. ↑ VanEgeren, Jessica; Steven Elbow (March 19, 2013). "New crackdown on Capitol protests may be imminent". The Capital Times. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
  28. ↑ Marley, Patrick; Michael Phillis (August 30, 2013). "Capitol permit granted, but some protesters say they'll boycott". Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Retrieved February 15, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Singers in Wis. Capitol crackdown plead not guilty, 33 want jury trials; cases may be grouped". Minnesota Star Tribune. Associated Press. August 10, 2013. Retrieved February 16, 2026.
  30. ↑ "State Capitol protest permits ruled unconstitutional". Green Bay Press-Gazette. Associated Press. January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 18, 2026.
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