Crowd at the Capitol rally

More than 250 people packed into the icy plaza in front of the State Capitol at 1:30 this afternoon to express solidarity with union members in Wisconsin and show commitment to a square deal for workers here at home.

The 45-minute event appeared to have been organized by several progressive Rhode Island groups, including MoveOn.org, which billed it as a "Rally to Save the American Dream." There were many in attendance carrying signs showing support for the Providence teachers and unions in general. (A particularly clever expression of solidarity: "The cheese does not stand alone.")

At one point, the crowd joined a speaker in a chant which will probably be featured on the evening newscasts: "When they say cutback, we say fight back."

Jack and I had a good time, saw some old friends and made some new ones. It was an energizing afternoon.

A few pix up on the Flickr stream.

Full disclosure: As I have said before, I am married to a member of the NEA. But my support for unions runs deeper. Intellectually, I'm with Paul Krugman, who sees them as an important counterweight to the power of corporations. And on a gut level, I was raised in a union household. I believe that without collective bargaining, there is no way my parents would have had the money to send me to college. My mother was a nurse in a New York City municipal hospital, and yes, I believe in public sector unions.