Tents were set up on the UW-Madison campus on April 29, 2024 after a pro-Palestine protest began that morning. UW officials said the tents needed to be removed as they violated state and university law. (Photo by Terry Bell / Civic Media)
MADISON, WI (WSAU) – Students at UW-Madison and UW-Madison Police, State Police, and officers from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office clashed on Tuesday night as anti-Israel protests have impacted universities across the nation.
According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, protesters at the University of Wisconsin-Madison locked arms around the last two tents as the other estimated 200 people have been removed by police and their tents loaded into a trailer. The remaining protesters were seen by reporters using Sharpie markers to write their phone number—the bail number—in anticipation of being arrested.
However, according to WisPolitics’ Kate Morton, protesters have set up a brand new encampment at the same site as the original, with seemingly brand-new tents and supplies. As of this morning, 34 protesters have been arrested, with all but four being released with no citation and the others receiving charges such as resisting arrest and battery of a police officer after they injured at least four officers.
Tents are back pic.twitter.com/ndlZfrZWGk
— Kate Morton (@KateMorton_) May 1, 2024
The Journal Sentinel noted earlier on Wednesday that police had initially broken the chain of masked protesters surrounding the UW-Madison encampment at 8:25 a.m. and arrested several individuals, including one professor, after a “final warning” was given to the protesters at 8 a.m., asking them to disperse peacefully. Police did end up using force, such as pushing the protesters back with riot shields, after some had thrown punches at the officers.
Police taking down tents now, things getting physical @UWMadison pic.twitter.com/VyXhTEDqmJ
— Tyler Katzenberger (@TylerKatzen) May 1, 2024
The move to break up the encampment was praised by Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who posted on X saying, “Good move. Thank you, @uwchancellor, for doing the right thing by enforcing campus policies and standing up to the unruly mob.” Wisconsin state law bans camping on university property, and the Dean of Students warned students last Friday, that said that any student who violates the university camping policies “will have consequences, both within our code of student conduct and more broadly under Wisconsin law.”
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