(PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
Thousands of signs, banners, and printed copies of e-mails put up by protesters throughout the state Capitol building have now been removed.
The Department of Administration says many of those put up during the massive demonstrations against the Governor’s budget repair bill were photographed before they were taken down. They are being preserved and evaluated by the Smithsonian and Wisconsin State Historical Society.
The Department says it is working on a method to return signs to their creators, after their historical significance has been assessed.
The state estimated the cost of removing the signs and any residue from tape used to put them up at around 350-thousand-dollars, much lower than the initial $7.5 million figure.
DOA on Monday also released revised guidelines for obtaining permits to hold rallies at the Capitol. The agency notes that most requests must be received 72 hours before any event and up to two weeks in advance if demonstrators need equipment.
Capitol Police have also issued a reminder that camping on the State Capitol grounds is not permitted. The move comes after several demonstrators started sleeping outside of the building, following a judge’s ruling that they could no longer stay inside the Capitol overnight.