NEWS
Riot sparks police to break-up celebration
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Also by Megan Costello:
- Judge dismisses drink special suit (April 8, 2005)
- Campus joins fight against cancer (April 21, 2005)
- History of the Mifflin Street Block Party (April 28, 2005)
- Universities party across Midwest (April 28, 2005)
Related Stories:
- Halloween costs exceed initial estimates (November 12, 2003)
- Mayor: city set for Halloween night (October 26, 2004)
- City split over plans for Halloween (September 1, 2004)
- Officials prepare for next Halloween (May 7, 2003)
- City, UW hoping for safe Halloween (October 28, 2004)
by Megan Costello
Monday, November 1, 2004
Despite intense yearlong planning, increased police staffing and extensive community involvement, the State Street Halloween party turned ugly early Sunday morning.
Capping at approximately 75,000 to 80,000 people filling the streets, the celebration ended in riots for the third year in a row.
In a press conference Sunday, Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said the city now faces two choices: to increase management for future Halloween events or to completely cancel the weekend party.
“We’ve got to ask ourselves whether or not we should try to manage this event in the future or try to discourage it actively,” Cieslewicz said.
Friday night festivities passed without large disturbance but were followed by the Saturday night police use of pepper spray on a crowd that became uncontrollable.
At 1:30 a.m. Sunday approximately 5,000 people gathered on the 500 block of State Street and began pushing, yelling and dancing. A number of fights broke out before and during the disturbance, while several police-mounted horses were hit with objects and beaten.
Shortly afterward, a small bonfire started when the crowd threw costumes into a pile and began burning it. Members of the crowd began jumping over the fire and passing objects, including a tire and a garbage can.
Using large pepper-spray canisters, police in full riot gear began pushing the frenzied crowd off of State Street to north and south Frances Street. Over the next hour, police worked to remove people from State and Langdon streets.
Police Chief Noble Wray said large stadium lights, which were turned on before pepper spray was deployed, helped to clear people from the street.
If people on the street wanted to move away from the disturbance, they could have, Wray added.
Cieslewicz said the efforts were not completely successful.
“When 5,000 people need to be cleared from the street using pepper spray and horses, when our officers need to don protective gear because objects are being thrown at them, when horses are being prodded and punched, when a fire is started and fire department personnel are harassed at the scene, this is in no way a successful event,” he said.
Despite the use of pepper spray, members from the police and fire department as well as the UW community feel some parts of the night were a success. No serious injuries or severe property damage occurred.
“We believe as in terms of minimizing injuries, for officers or citizens or those attending the event — this is a success,” Wray said during the press conference.
According to Assistant Chief of Police Luis Yudice, preliminary numbers show 196 arrests were made Friday, of which 64 were from out-of-state visitors. Another 252 arrests occurred Saturday, 93 of which were from out-of-state visitors.
The majority of the out-of-state arrests were from residents of Minnesota with 49 arrests and Illinois, 19 arrests.
A total of 448 arrests were made, with only 57 identified as UW students, a figure representing 12.8 percent of the total arrests.
“We’re going to look at each case,” UW Chancellor John Wiley said. “We don’t want anyone to go away with the idea that the majority of students [causing problems] were from UW.”
According to Wiley, the size and proximity of the UW campus makes UW students the biggest factor in Halloween festivities. The minimal amount of arrests and citations of UW students demonstrates that they are not the main cause of Halloween havoc, Wiley added.
The overall percentages of UW student offenses dropped significantly in comparison to last year, according to Yudice. The majority of UW student offenses were related to alcohol and not to the riots.
“Hardly any of the citations were from downtown addresses or university housing addresses,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said. “I think our students lead by example … there were just a few yahoos hell-bent on being in a riot.”
Cieslewicz said students involved in the riots will pay the full price.
“I am asking the chancellor, the UW president, the city attorney and the district attorney to aggressively pursue prosecutions and the stiffest penalties possible for all the perpetrators of [Saturday] night’s disturbance,” Cieslewicz said.
Few businesses reported damages after the Halloween celebration Saturday night.
Cracked glass on the doors of the University Book Store and two shattered windows at the Digital Outpost are among the minimal damages compared to last year’s extensive numbers of shattered windows on the 500 and 600 blocks of State Street.
Sam Milin, a UW sophomore, said she witnessed the bonfire that grew between The Den and Brats. The stadium lighting was turned on after the fire began and police started dumping water onto the fire from the roof of The University Inn, she added.
As the crowd was forced to leave State Street, UW sophomore Kevin Lin and Chris Wesloski, who was visiting from Louisiana, said they witnessed a couple of partiers walk past the Digital Outpost and smash two of the business’ windows. A beer bottle was shattered directly above their heads, Wesloski added.
“It was ridiculous,” Lin said. “They wanted to break something just for the hell of it.”
Cieslewicz conveyed a distinct message to out-of-town Halloween rioters during the press conference.
“I want to send a very clear message to everyone who came to Madison to cause trouble this weekend: stay away next year,” he said.
—Aubre Andrus contributed to this report
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 1:30am):
DId anyone see the person that fell out of the building by the capital? How come there is no news about that?
Craig Chester (November 1, 2004 @ 1:52am):
The city should throw the book at anyone who was arrested-maximum penalties. The university should also step in and UW system students who were arrested for serious offenses should face expulsion. Next year, the city should close every parking garage/lot anywhere near downtown Madison and the University should not permit any visitors inside UW dormitories. The city should also work with Landlords to not allow visitors in their larger buildings during the weekend next year. With the money and time the city spent preparing for a safe and uneventful Halloween, they could certainly and realistically end the event for good next year. Our reputation is on the line. It is already tarnished. Halloween here is not for Madison residents, it's for visitors who abuse our city. End the nightmare once and for all.
Craig Chester - Senior
cpchester@wisc.edu
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 4:11am):
Amen, craig!
Why doesn't the city just turn Halloween into a street festival, close off streets, charge $5.00 to get in and create an atmosphere everyone can enjoy?
It was a pain in the ass with so much homework to do to stay away from State Street out of concern for my own safety.
I got hit on the head with a rail glass on Thursday and when I called the Police, I waited 15 minutes and they didn't come.
When the yahoos come out in Madison, as a guy not wanting trouble, you'd be safer pitching a tent in a Baltimore, MD crackhouse.
Does the city have a 50 cent tax on Jäger shots or something? Why do they put up with this? Is it like, some sore of Homeland Security training?
Madison should not tollerate this another year, period.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 4:20am):
damn, just because you don't enjoy the festivities doesn't mean you should end it for everyone else Craig. UW should send out info to other universities regarding halloween here in madison. Those idiots in minnesota need to be informed of the problems they are causing, and they should face the same penalties as any UW student during halloween. If those students don't get some kind of reinforced punishment from their school, what is going to stop them from trashing ours? That's what the problem is, the lack of strict punishment for out-of-state visitors. Some kind of agreement needs to be worked out between UW and neighboring universities and the city. I don't want to see halloween end, this is what being in college is all about, having fun.
Josiah (November 1, 2004 @ 5:43am):
"According to Assistant Chief of Police Luis Yudice, preliminary numbers show 196 arrests were made Friday, of which 64 were from out-of-state visitors. Another 252 arrests occurred Saturday, 93 of which were from out-of-state visitors.
The majority of the out-of-state arrests were from residents of Minnesota with 49 arrests and Illinois, 19 arrests.
A total of 448 arrests were made, with only 57 identified as UW students, a figure representing 12.8 percent of the total arrests."
These statistics are really interesting, although, I am not sure how they correlate with rioting. Am I supposed to believe that arrests lead to riots? If so, it says something about the police, as well. I think it would be more helpful if this story had had a percentage break down of the types of arrests made. Also, it is helpful to think about when the arrests were made in relation to the riots. Perhaps if more (or less) people had been arrested prior to the riots they could have been prevented.
It is quite clear that the stigma of Madison Halloween rioting is being ingrained in our minds. I would argue that the majority of those arrested are in-state residents who are not students at this University (64% taken from the stats provided). Perhaps this is a system (UW system) wide problem that begins at home.
While it may be politically astute to "play hardball" with rioters, Madison will have to come to grips with Halloween. Since I did not attend the festivities, it is difficult for me to speak from a position of authority, but I realized that if I needed to call the police, the response time would have been long. A number of suggestions from my point of view are Community volunteers (or paid) to free up police officers and to help disperse the crowd (to alleviate "the man" syndrome). Also, there is a serious transportation problem during Halloween. It is difficult to get people out if many have no way to leave or have to wait for hours. I also think that the newly formed "Arts District" has tremendous potential in changing the Halloween dynamic.
While being tough with offenders will be helpful, the Madison community must be more accepting of its Halloween. When, "Don't get arrested this weekend" becomes the accepted salutory remark, we are already accepting this behavior as a part of Halloween. Yes, I did not attend the festivities, but I take full responsibility for them as a citizen of Madison. I plan on attending the planning sessions next year to ensure that I have a more vested interest, because like it or not, I am invested.
This is why I have a problem with the statistics presented in this article. They are misleading and presented in a way that allows students, State and community members to say, "At least it wasn't us", when really the majority of the arrests were. To blame out-of-towners is something a hick town would do, maybe we should all hide in the Humanities Building every Halloween or accept this, and take the first step in making Madison Halloween something that our community can be proud of.
I have a class about revolution and conflict in Latin America at this University. In this light, I would just like to ask if perhaps there are bigger political meanings in the riots of Madison Halloween. Whether it be symbolic, physical, or philosophic, it is quite clear that lines are being drawn every Halloween. The reason I wonder about this is we need to address the stigma both within our community and on a Statewide level. Understanding this could make Halloween more enjoyable for all involved and be a bright spot in State culture. Let's make "Happy Halloween" mean something again in Madison!!
I don't want to "scare" ya, but I have said my piece and I can only think of bad Halloween puns. So See ya next year!!!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 5:44am):
Quit blaming people from Minnesota and start blaming the people that come here looking to riot. If you read the article, Minnesota had 49 arrests compared to 57 from UW. Although I did not keep track on how many times I was asked, "when are the riots going to happen," I do remember that it was more than once. People are coming here not to have fun and enjoy the spirit of State Street, but rather to tear our city apart. The police did a hell of a job to keep the peace, and did an even better job to keep the damage to a minimum. This is once again a case where the few shout over the voices of the many, and I for one do not want it to happen again. Halloween should be enjoyed by all, but if people are coming here to break shit and look for trouble, why should we hold it? It would be a risk to everybody who partakes in the festivities. Don't get me wrong, I had a blast this weekend, and I would love to see it continue, but how much more do we have to put up with? Honestly, this has been planned out for a year and was looked at from every angle. The city did not fail this year. The masses failed this year.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 7:32am):
I would like to bring attention to the fact that the riot police using pepper gas on the Halloween crowds reacted overzealously and too extremely. Although there was an illegal and potentially dangerous bonfire lit in the middle of State Street, most people around it were not involved. After only two garbled, vague verbal warnings asking revelers to disperse, the police then attacked the crowd indiscriminately with pepper spray. I only saw two people throw objects at officers; both were plastic bottles filled with liquid. The gaseous spray used against partiers was an ineffective measure because people could not disperse quickly enough to avoid the gas due to the thick, confused and chaotic crowd. Moreover, once sprayed, some partiers were rendered unable to disperse because they were unable to see or breathe.
The pepper was also a bad choice because it affected everyone in the State Street area regardless of his or her actions-- legal or illegal. One girl who was caught in the crowd took refuge in my friend's apartment. She was crying uncontrollably and vomiting from the gas. If that girl isn't a good enough example of spraying innocent, uninvolved people, consider the residents of State Street apartments. Even if their windows were closed when the pepper spray was used, the gas wafted up into apartments, causing coughing fits and sneezing to residents for most of the night. Unlike the troublemakers who could run from the spray, residents were unfairly punished for others' actions, being forced to tolerate pepper-spray in their homes for long periods of time.
In this less dangerous "riot" using pepper-spray was too much, too early. Is it necessary to react to small problems with harsh punishments in order to discourage further unrest? Unfair retaliation only breeds hatred and distrust. I suggest that the Madison Police Department reconsiders their actions this year before next Halloween.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 7:41am):
"Although there was an illegal and potentially dangerous bonfire lit in the middle of State Street..." Enough said. It should not have even come to that. Police reacted in a way that would disperse people and prevent the escelation of these events. There was a bonfire in the middle of the street and the police are a fault for their actions. Give me a break.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 8:31am):
If that fire had grown and the rioters in the back of the pack, eager to see what was going on, pushed the crowd forward into the fire, the police would have been at fault for not dispersing the crowd earlier.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 8:34am):
You are becoming an embarassment to the greater UW community. I graduated only a few years ago, but before Halloween in Madison would make it on the Today show and point out to the entire country what an unruly group Madison students are. Less than 5 years ago we had plenty of people on State Street, no riots, and drinks eveywhere. There is no reason for things to get so out of hand. You make the school look bad.
Andrew (November 1, 2004 @ 9:15am):
Someone else already alluded to the misleading statistics you reported, but I thought I'd point it out directly. The subheading of your article reads "Out-of-state visitors make up majority of arrests" but later you list 157 out-of-state arrests out of a total of 448 arrests (both nights). That's roughly 65% in state, 35% out-of-state. In fact, the majority of arrests were in state.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 9:50am):
It is time to make the university responsible for these students. The ones that were arrested should be expelled. End of the line for them. Illinois and Minnesota students shoul also be expelled from their schools as well.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 10:04am):
I would also like to know what happened with the female that fell out of the building by the capital. My friends and I saw the her body, and we thought she was dead. Does anyone know?
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 10:14am):
The individual who graduated is correct as is the person who questioned dressing police up in a manner that invited people to riot.
When will Madison realize that the Great Mayor Dave is nothing but an idiot.
For the first time, Madison is actually becoming a magnet for heroin addicts.
For the first time, people are being robbed on State Street on a regular basis.
Go to a Madison Magnet meeting and you'll see the transparency of his leadership which consists of his assistant throwing 'networking' parties at bars, no open bar like a real networking party, so he can get with women who looked like they walked out of the audience for 'The View."
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:00am):
I live right on State St, and when we tried to get onto State at 2AM to go home, the police officers would not let us past Johnson St b/c of the pepper spray. We had to wait for 3 hrs, until 5AM, to get onto State. When we asked the police to juist let us by so we could go home, we were told to "take a walk for a little while" - which is not exactly protecting the students. I saw the police start with the pepper spray, and it was completely unreasonable and without warning - granted, it happened after the lights were turned on, but bar time hadn't even happened, and no warning was issued. This is unfair and inconsiderate and is reactive rather than proactive.
UW student (November 1, 2004 @ 11:00am):
I live right on State St, and when we tried to get onto State at 2AM to go home, the police officers would not let us past Johnson St b/c of the pepper spray. We had to wait for 3 hrs, until 5AM, to get onto State. When we asked the police to juist let us by so we could go home, we were told to "take a walk for a little while" - which is not exactly protecting the students. I saw the police start with the pepper spray, and it was completely unreasonable and without warning - granted, it happened after the lights were turned on, but bar time hadn't even happened, and no warning was issued. This is unfair and inconsiderate and is reactive rather than proactive.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:21am):
Regarding all these statistics, don't you think that even though their may be a higher percentage of "in-state" arrests, that the number is disproportionate considering the event takes place in south central Wisconsin? The numbers of out of state arrests are staggering in my opinion! Clearly, many people that come from out of state are here to cause trouble, or simply can't handle life in a place other than a no-name university in the middle of nowhere.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:22am):
I think the cops should not even be on State St, then next when people start "illegal and uncontrollable fires", the whole street will burn down and then this halloween fiasco willl never happen again. Actually the cops should have the right to kick anyones ass for even thinking about throwing anything...imagine being in there shoes, and your supposed to be protecting the innocent when you can't tell who's innocent or not because people are throwing shit at you and people the tar out of the horse you're on. get real, this isn't some police brutality issue, these cops are fearing for their own safety.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:23am):
As another 'recent' grad ['01], I also remember a short time ago when the riots were not the main draw to the State St. Halloween scene. Having spent 5 years on campus and attending the downtown Halloween revelry each year, I never witnessed any tear gassing, vandalism, or arson. I did see thousands of people [students, alum, & visitors alike] dressed up in crazy costumes enjoying the spectacle. Yes there was alcohol, but from my experience, the amount of violent incidents did not differ greatly from the State and Henry area at bartime, aside from the magnitude of the crowd.
It alarms me that the lighthearted questions I heard [Did you see those 8 guys dressed up as a cage full of animals??] has morphed into "When do the riots start?"
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:42am):
It alarms me that the lighthearted questions I heard [Did you see those 8 guys dressed up as a cage full of animals??] has morphed into "When do the riots start?
That is exactly what has happened and it is deeply saddening. The only way to escape this viscious cycle is to end the event, and it can be done without using drastic measures.
To those that are upset with police tactics here is what I say. If you avoided state street once the lights went on, once the fire started, once you knew things were spiraling downward, you would not have been pepper sprayed. Furthermore, police can not and should not discern between "innocent" and "guilty" when dealing with a mob. A close friend lost an eye from a rubber bullet in Hartford, CT when he was trying to break up a large fight at a concert.
Moral of the story. Stay away from police in riot gear and you will not be pepper sprayed. Simple as that. I have no sympathy for those were were affected by police action. Your presence alone makes you a target, and you should have known better. Besides, they were the sober ones, so their thought was undoubetdly more rationial than yours.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:43am):
Ha ha! Stupid college kids got hit with pepper spray! Ha ha! I hope your eyes are burning for days! Every year you all pull the same B.S. You go wild, the cops move in and kick your butts. Ha ha! Feel like a party now? Do ya? I didn't think so. Ha ha! I hope you all barf for days. Too bad. Soooo sad. I hope your parents saw you all on TV. Now they'll know the truth about what you are really doing here.
As for the UW student who complained about not being allowed to get back to his apartment on State Street: Ha ha! Too bad. Hey, you wanted to live on State Street, pal. This is what you have to deal with every Halloween. Too bad. Soooo sad.
Suffer! All of you!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:52am):
I was there, and I think that the police acted very well under the circumstances. From what I saw, the police showed a lot of patience with people just looking for trouble. I don't always like police, but often they are put into lose-lose situations. It seemed to me that everyone had plenty of notice to leave because trouble was escalating.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:55am):
It's about time people start taking responsibility for their actions. Would you start a fire any other weekend of the year and not expect a response from the police and fire departments? Why should their response be any different? If anything, the response should be more forceful because of the fools from UWM, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Oshkosh who think State Street is their own private party. I commend the law enforcement for their pro-active approach this year. You want to riot? Stay home. Don't come back.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 11:57am):
When the f*** did it become attractive to get pepper sprayed? Because that's the only reason I can come up with anymore that this has happened three years running....people come for the sole purpose of getting to be in a riot.
75,000 people on Saturday night, at it's peak. I'd say somewhere around half that on Friday. And all it takes is a crowd of roughly 5,000 (Less than 5% of the total partygoers over the two nights) morons to make us no better than UW-Oshkosh?!? Good freaking grief.
Next year, if they give this thing one last shot, I really REALLY hope they think to put students on the committees that devise all the "security" measures. Because I never heard one peep about a student being on the Halloween committee, and who better to know about how drunk students act then themselves?
(First step, realize that bright lights and food aren't gonna pacify inebriated, moronic, testosterone-poisoned s***heads who want nothing more than to break stuff.)
Say, there's an idea...make the city's Halloween slogan the same rule my old house fellow used to implement...
"Don't be an a**hole & don't be a s***head."
-William Northend
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 12:01pm):
So some dumbf*** student fell out of a building. Let her die! She wanted to get drunk and have a good time. Well, she had one! Where were her friends when she fell? Some friends, huh? You see, no one cares what happens to a bunch of dumb-ass party animal college kids. No one has to. None of them are gonna graduate anyway. Stupidity is just nature's way of seperating the losers from the rest of us. Why should their parents, or us taxpayers, foot the bill for these lost causes?
F@%* everyone who has a problem with my opinion. I don't care! I don't have to. You don't care what happens to the innocent bystanders when you go berzerk, so why should we care if you get hurt or killed when you decide to cut loose.
Madison has a bad enough reputation as it is. The last thing we want is to give the rest of the country the erroneous impression that we actually tolerate this kind of crap here. Thank God the cops moved in when they did. Who knows how much worse it could have been if they didn't!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 12:21pm):
I hope next time the cops use live ammo. Rat-a-tat-tat! Mow 'em down! Seriously, it's kinda boring to see the same ol' riot every year. I wanna see something different. I wanna see helpless college students writhing in the street in a pool of their own blood, crying out for someone to help them. I wanna see some cops gang up on the Fruit-of-the-Loom guys. I wanna see cops with flame throwers light up an entire block of revelers, just to watch them all run around like a bunch of idiots, trying to slap the flames out. Awesome!
And then, when it's all over...my favorite part...take all the arrestees out to Camp Randall Stadium, line 'em up at the 50-yard line, and ride right over them with their horses while "Sympathy For The Devil" blares from a boom box. Talk about surreal! They could make a video and sell millions of copies to help pay for the cleanup and the overtime. The city would recover every dime. Cool!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 12:38pm):
I am a recent graduate of UW and since moved to Denver. I wanted to come back to Mad Town for the big party on Saturday but it wasn't logistically going to happen this year.
It seems for the past couple years (before this year) the police have gotten their schedules in a big bind and forgot which night to patrol the street wtih full force. It isn't always their fault. The people who want to drink and party on State Street are going to do it whichever night they please. Past years with the police being off by a night led to massive riots because there weren't enough officers to control the crowd. Now it seems as though people come expecting it. I feel the police are doing a good job of stopping things. They let people have fun, fun, fun... sometimes too much and then stop it when it gets out of hand. All I ever hear is that, "The cops acted too fast, they stopped our fun, they were reactive not proactive". Well their job is to protect and serve. They were proactive all year planning the party and the protection. Just being there is proactive enough for me but it seems far too many people have no respect for the police, which is sad. When people are having bottles shattered just over thier heads, and store owners are having windows smashed, where do you draw the line between fun and safety. For everyone who says the police used their pepper spray too soon. Well I can't say what I really feel on here but just chill out. Have you ever been sprayed or gassed? It sucks, yes. You know what else sucks? Getting hit by rocks, sticks, bottles, fists, etc. That is what the police have to deal with from the disfunctional partiers. If someone didn't deserve to get sprayed they shouldn't have been there, they should have been smart enough to leave the area sooner.
Now onto the numbers game. So comments thrown out to this article so far have bashed the Herald for their number use. Well guys, guess what... don't rant on here trying to sound smart and correct the paper. Use the brain that got you into UW, THINK, and then let it go. Most everyone who reads this article can conclude one thing no matter if the Herald had some funny numbers or not. The people who cause the most problems during the Halloween celebration are not from Madison. It doesn't matter if they are from WI, MN, IL or even TX, they probably don't go to school at UW. They don't have as much respect for the city as UW students and Madison residents do. So get over the fact that you passed Wardrop's Stats Class and can correct a little mistake the paper made.
Reading the Denver Post today you find that a "block" party at CU (in Boulder) got out of hand with 1000 people in the street being loud and drinking under-age. ( http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/
0,1413,36~23827~2505242,00.html ) Be glad that cops aren't like that in Madison. If the cops stepped in and completely broke up State Street because of a report of under-age drinking I think the party would be over a lot sooner than 1:30AM. Be glad you have it that good in Madion.
Yes I accused people before of ranting about the paper and now it seems that is what this was towards all of the complainers out there. Too bad. Next time you want bash this paper or the police for doing their job chew on some gum and think first. Most importantly think about what would transpire if the police were absent all together.
bfbirkel@uwalumni.com
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 12:38pm):
Next year they should block off State Street and have police at the entrances. People that will be admitted must show a valid Madison Address or a UW-Madison Student ID. This would make the situation 1000 times better for the city and students. Its not like anyone wants the trash from the other universities anyway.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 12:46pm):
all you fucknuts who caused problems should visit www.goat.cx
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 12:53pm):
The bottom line is that the police, no matter how many they have, can not stop the riots. My reasoning behind this is because they couldn't even handle friday night, let alone saturday. On friday night they had the spot lights on all night, now why didn't they have them on all night for saturday. Someone needs to take a look at what is going on in the present, and compare it to years of the past. We all remember the days when Madison didn't have riots. Its just the fact of the police thinking they have control and the people letting them know that they don't. Whoever was hired this year for safety and anti riot did a bad job, and they need to rethink a lot of things before they think what they did this year was any better then the last.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 12:55pm):
Newsies- Madison was the shit!!!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 12:58pm):
I like the ideas the anonymous poster submitted about just going fucking nuts on the crowd with live ammo and flame throwers. If assholes want to come to town and ruin the party for everybody else then at least we should be able have fun with them afterwards. If anybody causes some shit let's just hoist them up on a street light pole and pelt them with rocks. If they barf make them lick it up. And if they really do something stupid let's tie them up to a horse and drag them all the way up the street.
I agree tht the same old fucking riot every year is just plain boring. Its time for some real entertainment. And about that chick who fell from the building, how come nobody went over to her and got a piece while she was out? Damn, I would've jumped right on top of her and did her! If a bunch of assholes are goin to come to town every Halloween and wreck the place they can pay the price. And they bitch about the police being around and how they handled the situation like they expect us to be sympathetic! I say fuck you! You start some shit, you take some shit. Thats fair, assholes.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 1:11pm):
I like the idea about using live ammunition on the crowd! Next year let's turn State Street into a fucking shooting gallery. BLAM! BLAM! GET THAT FUCKER IN THE BOY GEORGE COSTUME! I HATE BOY GEORGE! BLAST THAT BITCH DRESSED UP LIKE MARTHA STEWART TOO! BOOM! GOT HER! HEH-HEH!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 1:30pm):
I saw people punching and throwing stuff at horses. Who does that?
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 1:46pm):
I received 2 citations on Friday, was handcuffed(which had to be cut off because no one had the keys), fingerprinted and forced to pay $651 bond for an open intoxicant, and didn't get out of jail until 6 a.m. on Sat. I ended up leaving on Sat. afternoon, because the cops were out of control as well as the "hellraisers". I'm not saying that I wasn't doing anything wrong, but $650 is a lot of dough for an open intoxicant.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 2:02pm):
"...$650 is a lot of dough for an open intoxicant."
Too bad. Soooo sad. Ha ha! Just think how much it costs to replace a plate glass window, ya buttmunch!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 2:04pm):
"The bottom line is that the police, no matter how many they have, can not stop the riots."
Gee, I guess we'll have to stop Halloween on State Street instead. Tee-hee!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 2:13pm):
Throwing stuff at horses? Damn, they should have trampled those bastards right there! Next year instead of horses they should bring 200 pit bulls. Just try and fuck with one of them. Just throw something at a pit bull and see how fast the leash comes off! You can't outrun a pit bull, shitheads. Wreck our street and you'll get your balls bit off!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 2:13pm):
Derek, did you have a gas mask on when you took that pic???
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 2:33pm):
I can't see city officials canceling Halloween next year. Despite the damange on state street, it is the most economically successful weekend of the year in Madison. Business owners would lose a lot of money....
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 2:35pm):
ri
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 2:45pm):
though shit!!!!!
This happens once a year,and so be it. it's da only time to throw shit at officers who pulled you over for driving 5 miles over da limit. pay back time baby hahahahahahahah
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 3:00pm):
Who beats a horse? How about this dipshit:
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/
0908041_real_world_1.html
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 3:11pm):
Wow. UW Landon is a horse beater. What a scumbag! I heard that clown has an agent also. Who does he think he is?
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 3:13pm):
"Wow. UW Landon is a horse beater. What a scumbag! I heard that clown has an agent also. Who does he think he is?"
Hmm...a horse beater, a scumbag, and a clown with an agent. I wonder...could he be...a Republican?
GFY (November 1, 2004 @ 3:32pm):
As a more recent UW alum I am getting very frustrated with the negative publicity the school continues to get each year around Halloween. I know that many of those causing problems are from out-of-town who don't have the same pride for the city of Madison as most students do. I also know that Halloween has become a party not for those that go to UW, but wannabes who didn't get into UW so out of envy they act unruly. Well, I say enough is enough and UW students stick it to all of those out-of-towners. My suggestion is that next year at Halloween, the student population ingnores the holiday, gets out of the city and finds another campus to party at. I have a more concrete suggestion that anyone can read about at tgwgfy.blogspot.com.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 4:25pm):
I don't understand how you can blame the fire starting on U of M - Twin Cities Students. Out of the 448 people that were arrested:
49 from MN
19 from IL
57 UW-Madison Students
WHERE ARE THE OTHER 338 PEOPLE FROM???????
"We're going to look at each case," UW Chancellor John Wiley said. "We don't want anyone to go away with the idea that the majority of students [causing problems] were from UW."
How can you say this when your students made up the largest identified group of people?
Also i can identify from the small amount of photos the same people can be seen causing trouble.
This photo shows someone adding fuel to the fire:
http://www.mndaily.com/daily/2004/11/01/p3halloweenB.jpg
This photo shows the same person posing for the camera agin in some peace protest:
http://badgerherald.com/news/2004/11/01/
halloween1_dm_400.jpg
Obviously this person wanted to be in a riot. I was there, but you can bet that my ass was trying to get away from the police. This guy was taking his time getting photographed by two different newspapers.
The person seen climbing a light pole in this picture:
http://www.mndaily.com/daily/2004/11/01/p2halloweenB.jpg
Is also the same person seen crowd surfing 55 seconds into this news clip:
http://nbc15.madison.com/Global/story.asp?S=2503362
A majority of the people causing trouble in the video were not even in costume. As one of the people who dressed up for this Halloween celebration, I am dissapointed that a few people can ruin the party for 75,000 people.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 4:44pm):
How can you say there were no serious injuries when a woman committed suicide /fell/was a s**thead/whatever, by jumping off the YMCA? And if kids from other universities are 'trash', then how about you don't come to MN. For any reason. We don't want prick Badgers at the MOA. Nice Badgers, more than welcome.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 5:25pm):
This is one of those few situations where I ready do hate to say "I told you so."
-klemz
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 6:28pm):
Look at this picture in the article. Are we supposed to beleive that this person is trying to be peaceful and respect the cops. Fuck no!!! He is still there being a fucking idiot. Just get out of the fucking street. It is YOUR FAULT the cops are there retard!!! Being a former Badger now graduated I find these smartass posere a disgrace to UW. Just get out of the fucign street when the cops come and quit trying to act touch. They will fucking brain you moron.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 6:50pm):
GO MPD!!! YOU ROCK!!!
PARTIERS!!! YOU ROCK TOO!!! JUST WISE UP DUMBFUCKS!!!
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 6:53pm):
"Are we supposed to believe that this person is trying to be peaceful and respect the cops?" A better question would be "Are we supposed to believe this photo was not STAGED?"
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 6:53pm):
OK, seriously, anyone who thinks that the police acted with undue force are ridiculous. A fire in the middle of the road with people jumping through it, and others climbing trees and lamps is not a safe situation no matter how you look at it. If that fire were started on any other day of any other week the police and firefighters would have been expected to put it out and keep people away. If they didn't, everyone would have been criticizing them for not acting quick enough.
In the situation Saturday night, there were many people that could have been seriously hurt or killed with the fire, and the police decided that it was unsafe. Now, in this more dangerous situation, the police are citicized by some for acting too quickly?!? I just don't understand how the police can possibly win in this situation. What happens if they wait 10 more seconds, and someone falls into the fire, or people start more fires, or break windows, or anything else?? Then the police are criticized even more for waiting too long.
The police generally do a very good job making sure that the city is safe. I feel that they should do nothing different just because its 'halloween weekend' in Madison.
And, just for good measure...for the person that said they got the open intoxicant ticket...seriously, I'm glad they gave the ticket. You can't break the law on any other weekend, why should you be able to this weekend?
So, cut the police some slack, and thank them that you're alive and healthy after what happened, because one can only imagine what would have happened if they wouldn't have been there.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 6:56pm):
"Just get out of the fucign street when the cops come and quit trying to act touch."
Dude, are you as think as I drunk you are?! I don't believe I ever met a cop who was "touch." And, um, I hope I never do unless it's a woman cop.
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 7:15pm):
The riot damage compared to last year is alot smaller for a couple of reasons but i would like to point out one. everyone got an extra hour at the bars (daylight savings time that didnt happen on halloween last year). What does that accomplish? well my opponent would say that it allows students to get get drunker (they are already drunk before st state) and cause violence or drink to much (although a responisble beverage server should stop serving). Valid points. But the reality is the riots started around bar time. When however many bars in the downtown area close their doors for bussiness where do the kids go? the streets hello! keep them inside let them get drunk so drunk they dont want to be there and stumble home.
flame on
Anonymous (November 1, 2004 @ 8:42pm):
I'm glad the troublemakers got pepper-sprayed. For all the trouble they caused, it's about time they got their butts kicked. Do us all a favor and don't come back next year! You are not welcome! As for the UW-Madison students who got busted, I hope you get expelled. You have no right to be here. No right!
Anonymous (November 2, 2004 @ 2:31am):
I feel the pain of those UW students and Madison townies who enjoy the holiday but unfortunately have it ruined by those people who think it is okay to cause chaos. I am a student at Iowa State University and last year we had our campus celebration taken away due roits caused by the misjudgement of a group of people that thought "fun" meant lighting dumpsters on fire. Hopefully the issues can be resolved in Madison so your celebration will not be revoked. It is sad to traditions ruined by people who are not members of the community and do not have to suffer the long term conciquences
Anonymous (November 2, 2004 @ 3:03am):
I live on the corner of State & N. Frances and was inside my building when the pepper spray was used. All of our windows and doors were closed, yet the pepper spray seeped into our 3rd floor apartment and filled a large part of the building. People inside were coughing, sneezing and vomiting, not to mention the discomfort of tearing, stinging eyes and tingling sensations in our mouths. I understand that the police did not want to deal with even more out of control behavior, but I think it is absolutely terrible that people INSIDE had to experience the effects of pepper spray. The conditions inside were miserable, I cannot even imagine what it felt like to be outside. My roommate and I could not breathe in our room, so we slept elsewhere. We were not given any information as to the effects of pepper spray or tear gas, nor was there any concern expressed towards the residents of my building who were not outside or involved in the rioting, yet felt the effects of the spray. If the police are going to use such drastic measures, they should make sure that innocent bystanders and residents are not going to be put in such discomfort.
Anonymous (November 2, 2004 @ 8:52am):
What is a 'police-mounted horse'? (paragraph 6)
Anonymous (November 2, 2004 @ 9:13am):
The discripition of the event hardly sounds like a riot. Some kids burning costumes and tires. From the build up about the police presence, stadium lights, police on horses etc. it was predictable that the police were going to do something. Tell me how can the police in New Orleans (Bourbon Street) handle this kind of event every night - yes they have arrests but they don't go around pepper spraying people.
The whole event was a police staged show of force for the State Street Business owners who complained about the lack of police action last year. The State Street business owners had the best solution I heard of - just keep the bars & other venues open all night - thus no reason to congregate or form a crowd at "Bar Time".
Anonymous (November 3, 2004 @ 4:52pm):
I agree with the idea of keeping bar time open. It works at New Year's Eve. It seems common sense that if the problem comes because of too many drunk people on the street at once, maybe they shouldn't all be forced out at once. This would also solve the problem of innocent people getting involved in something they don't want to. If I could have stayed inside the bar until the crowd dispersed, I would have. Instead I was forced out and then clubbed in the back by a police officer for trying to get off of State Street.
