Madison’s most renowned annual event was again marred by violence Saturday night as a small group of revelers on State Street took it upon itself to taint what was an otherwise reasonable weekend of hedonistic fun.
Rain dampened Saturday’s planned celebrations after Friday’s crowds proved large and generally peaceful. The behavior of a few irresponsible partygoers closed the weekend. The aforementioned resulted in a State Street again awash in riot gear and broken glass and was simply unacceptable. Beyond the simple misfortune of those affected, the incidents are also a grave disservice to a community committed to providing a safe and fun environment at considerable expense and inconvenience. At this point, it appears that the disturbances were instigated by non-students from places other than Madison. This is no way for guests to behave, and it seems no amount of rain or other distraction can keep them from acting up.
Perhaps equally disturbing, although less publicized than Saturday’s violence, was the arrest Friday night of a UW-Whitewater student for possession of a loaded .9 mm handgun and extra ammunition clip. Why anyone would arrive at a celebration such as this with a loaded weapon escapes us, and the harm that could result from armed revelers is, at the very least, horrifying. The man, caught engaged in disorderly conduct while in possession of the weapon, is now being held in the Dane County Jail.
To the city’s credit, this year’s events must be examined in context; they pale in comparison to last year’s fires, injuries and extensive damage up and down the street. This year’s uprising was contained, resulted in no reported injuries and was dispersed promptly. In response to the dangerous situation that evolved around 2:30 a.m. around the 500 block of State Street, the police did their jobs and did them well. The city’s ban on glass containers was also a notable success.
Solutions for the now recurring problem of Halloween violence and destruction are hard to find and much more difficult to pinpoint. While the presence of city-sponsored live music was most certainly well intentioned, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said it will be “re-visited” next year and Chancellor John Wiley, when asked if the night’s activities validated the University’s decision not to actively sponsor any Halloween activities, responded with “you bet.”
It seems that if this trend of destruction continues, Madison’s Halloween tradition could become more of a burden than it is worth. It is also becoming extremely detrimental to the reputation of this University. We sincerely hope the tradition can continue in good spirit, but for this to happen, city planners, students and business owners must again put their heads together and devise a solution for next year’s inevitable crush of thrill seekers.
