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The Badger Herald

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The Badger Herald

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Crowd of 500 met with tear gas after smashing windows, looting in protest of shooting of Jacob Blake

The crowd set dumpsters on fire and broke many windows up and down State Street
Crowd+of+500+met+with+tear+gas+after+smashing+windows%2C+looting+in+protest+of+shooting+of+Jacob+Blake
Molly DeVore

A crowd of about 500 marched through Madison’s downtown and was met with tear gas, Monday night, after the shooting of Jacob Blake. 

The crowd began by marching down Langdon, encouraging onlookers to join them. It then made its way back to the Capitol Square, where organizers who have been at the Capitol every day since the killing of George Floyd, demanded to know where the rest of the crowd has been, saying they have only had about 20 people consistently show up. 

Crowd blocks University intersection in protest of Jacob Blake shooting, UW’s Lincoln statue

Organizers told the crowd to put the phone number of the Kenosha Police Department into their phones and call it to demand justice for Jacob Blake. 

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The crowd was then instructed to march to the Dane County Courthouse. Protesters rolled several dumpsters that had been used to block off the square with them as they marched. 

Outside the courthouse, these dumpsters were set aflame as everyone was instructed to put away their phones and not record anything to protect the identity of other protesters. 

The crowd made their way to State Street where many windows were broken and several businesses were looted.

Protesters were met by police in riot gear, but a crowd pushed them back down Gorham St.

The crowd continued their march back to the Capitol and down East Washington where they smashed the windows of the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce building with a molotov cocktail. As police arrived, white allies were instructed to form a perimeter around protestors of color. 

Police then deployed tear gas, and water and milk were distributed throughout the crowd. 

Madison-based youth organization pushes for legislative change

Protesters continued marching, as several people announced that if they stayed in one place too long the police would surround them. 

Back at the Capitol, tear gas was deployed again as protesters shouted at police, largely standing their ground. 

The group then split as some headed back towards the courthouse where police deployed tear gas again. 

Both groups reconvened at The Capitol. As the crowd prepared to leave, organizers warned that police would be picking off people in small groups and making arrests. 

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, six arrests were made, including that of Jordan King, a well-known local organizer and the best friend of Tony Robinson, the unarmed teen shot by Madison Police in 2015.

 

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