Since the proliferation of the internet, social media has increasingly played a direct role in modern political issues like civil rights. An example of this is the use of social media during the 2011 Wisconsin protests over public unions that occurred between February and March 2011. Both sides of Wisconsin labor debate used social media networks to galvanize support, though social media use was particularly prevalent amongst the pro-labor side. Many organizations around the country also joined this debate by using social media to voice their own opinions about labor issues in Wisconsin. Through the use of social media, Wisconsin's labor protests escalated from a local state issue into one of national and even international significance. Background The 2011 Wisconsin protests began as the newly sworn-in Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker outlined his plans for substantial reform on labor unions in Assembly Bill 11. On February 11, 2011, his bill included legislation that would significantly restrict the power of labor unions by limiting the collective bargaining rights of labor and limiting the subjects of union discussions to only basic wage talks. The bill also pushed public workers to pay more out-of-pocket for health insurance. These restrictions and cuts were intended to help alleviate Wisconsin's $3.6 billion deficit and better control the state budget. Despite these goals of fiscal responsibility, the people most active in the protests were those most directly impacted by the bill's labor reforms - particularly the limitations imposed on the bargaining rights of unions. These affected people included teachers, clerical workers, prison guards, government employees, and others who benefit from labor unions. The breadth of people who would receive lower wages and pay-cuts made Scott Walker's bill controversial in Wisconsin, and led to the emergence of significant labor protests across Wisconsin. Positions The protest movement's spread through social media The pro-union side used many forms of social media to sway public opinion and organize protests. Every segment of the population made use of social media's accessibility to contribute to the pro-labor protest movement. For one group of college students, after a student meeting they decided to use social media to push for their teachers' rights. They formed a group called the "Wisconsin Students for Solidarity" and organized a student walkout using Facebook. Their student walkout that started as a local Wisconsin affair grew to become a nationwide event called the "Nationwide Student Walkout" on Facebook. Students also used