American Awakening:10 thousands of Wisconsin protesters rally against anti-collective bargaining law

Tens of thousands of protesters have staged a massive rally in the US state of Wisconsin to mark the anniversary of protests against the passage of a Republican-backed law that shrinked the unions’ collective bargaining powers.

Around 35,000 protesters, including many members of public employee unions thronged outside the Wisconsin Capitol in the state’s second largest city, Madison, to protest against the legislation that “limits unions’ powers.”

Chanting, drumming and waving banners in the “Reclaim Wisconsin” rally, the demonstrators called for the ouster of Governor Scott Walker, who championed the legislation.

The passage of the hotly disputed bill in March 2011 stripped the public workers of bargaining rights and forced them to pay more for their pension and benefits.

The Democrats and labor union leaders say the law was aimed to undermine and limit union powers.