Members of the Wisconsin Green Party spoke in the UW-Milwaukee Union Ballroom on Thursday night, to stress the importance of the slogan: We Are Not Them.
Freedom Fighter YahNé Ndgo, who was also a keynote speaker at the Green Party Presidential Convention, served as the main surrogate to Jill Stein, after the perennial candidate was diagnosed with pneumonia last week.
Ndgo, a Philadelphia native, stressed free education, environmental awareness, peace, as well as the problems plauging the nation’s current political sphere.
“The Green Party has people at the forefront of peace and justice, and wisdom and democracy,” said Ngdo. “We need to act like this is a life-or-death election — because it is.”
Ndgo said that she was a supporter for Bernie Sanders, prior to the Vermont senator’s loss in the Democratic Primary just months ago. She said that the Green Party, which has absorbed a large population of Sanders devotees, is ideal, because of its organic, communal nature. With that, however, Ngdo maintained that the party needs to publicize itself, for conventional voters to notice.
The crowd, consisting of lone college students and families alike, covered over a quarter of the seats in the Ballroom. Chants of “democracy” and anti-war peace rang out, over the two-hour event’s life.
Green Party merchandise was available near the venue’s entrance, with buttons, T-shirts and signs being the most popular items. Prior to the speeches, One Drum, a world music group, played a set list, throughout which they advised the crowd to sing along, and spoke about Jill Stein’s policies.
George Paz Martin, the former National Co-Chair of United for Peace & Justice, also spoke at length about Jill Stein’s stance on the Dakota Pipeline at Standing Rock.
According to the latest White House Watch survey, Stein currently ranks fourth nationally in the presidential race, with 2 percent of the vote. The state of Wisconsin hasn’t garnered any mark higher since Ralph Nader’s 3 percent in the 2000 election.
Martin said that 2016 has been a “huge year,” citing the Green Party’s raising of millions of dollars, and its running of commercials on CNN.
At the conclusion of the event, spectators gathered for a group picture, which was later posted to Jill Stein’s Facebook page.
As for Ndgo, she will be embarking on an eastward trip, with stops in Detroit, Cleveland, Boston and Pittsburgh, within the coming weeks.