Madison, WI – On September 16, the anti-abortion group Missionaries to the Preborn set up on Madison’s Library Mall, harassing students as they passed by. By 2:30 p.m., a group of students gathered in opposition. Bradley Keenan of Madison Students for a Democratic Society led chants with the student body to drown them out. A band had also joined, drowning out the group’s speakers.

Frustrated at student opposition, the group's speeches devolved into baseless arguments with students, claiming that evolution and abortion are “what Hitler believed in.” Students did not back down, instead they voiced that anti-science claims have no place on campus. As students continued to protest, members of the anti-abortion group became increasingly agitated until they attacked a student, ripping his shirt off. At that point, members of the crowd stepped in and separated the agitator.

Twenty-four hours later, the Missionaries to the Preborn arrived in Milwaukee on the UW-Milwaukee campus. Near 1 p.m., the agitators started to assemble around Spaights Plaza with signs of bloody, fake fetuses and began to try and agitate the student population passing by, which grew a crowd. Members of the Student for a Democratic Society at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee responded to the scene, and began to drown out the agitators, led by SDS member Alejandro Acosta, by chanting, “Our bodies, our lives, our right to decide.”

Other members of SDS Milwaukee, Hannah Grotto and Lauren Sroka, discussed with students who passed by about the frustrations of dealing with a group that was clearly harassing students as they walked through campus. Grotto stated, “I am extremely disappointed with the university allowing an anti-abortion group onto campus utilizing such graphic imagery. She added, “More needs to be done to protect students from these outside groups, especially if they were violent at other schools in the UW System, we need to hold these agitators accountable.”

This impromptu rally was the first for UWM-SDS to have this fall semester as it continues to create a safe and progressive space on campus for all students.

As Trump’s policies against the education system continually turn college campuses into a battleground for student rights, it is also a call to action for all students on UWM’s campus to call for its administration to end its complicity with Trump’s anti-education, anti-student and anti-reproductive rights policies.

#MadisonWI #WI #StudentMovement #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #Abortion

Madison, WI – Students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison gathered in Library Mall, September 16, for the first protest for a sanctuary campus of the semester. Madison Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) led the protest, joined by the Black Power Coalition (BPC), United Faculty & Academic Staff, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization.

The event began with a call for students to fight back against ICE and Trump's reactionary policies. Like many cities across the U.S., Madison has seen an uptick in ICE activity. On the day of the rally, federal agents were reported in South Madison, further cementing the need for sanctuary policies.

Lizbeth De Jesus of Madison SDS talked about Trump’s attempts to end the “Duration of Status” rule for student visas. This xenophobic change would put international students, who make up 14% of Madison’s student body, at dire risk.

De Jesus told the crowd, “We need real policies put in place that defend students, staff, and faculty. We need our university to actually stand up and fight back against the backward Trump regime.”

De Jesus concluded, “When we dare to struggle, we dare to win! And we won’t stop fighting until we get what we deserve: a safer campus for every student.”

Evan Epps of the Black Power Coalition stated, “The same systems that over-police Black bodies are the same systems driving immigration raids, separations and terror in our communities.” Evan then turned his speech towards the university itself, “You cannot claim to build an inclusive campus, while allowing state officers to terrorize students on their way to class. Silence from University leadership is not neutrality, it is complicity.”

The rally was the first of many protests this semester as SDS continues its fight for a sanctuary campus.

Now, more than ever, the importance of uniting against Trump is on clear display. Now is not the time for neutrality. SDS and the UW community call on our university administration to take a firm stance against Trump!

#MadisonWI #WI #StudentMovement #SDS

Madison, WI – On another hot day in Madison, July 28, at the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin streets, six days after the murder of Corey Ruiz by the Madison Police Department, Madisonians continue to occupy the streets.

Many people return time and time again to visit the memorial, now dressed with flowers, candles and pictures of victims of police crimes. There is also a continuous stream of new faces, as individuals and organizations travel from around the country to visit, pay their respects, and help to organize on the ground.

On this day, the spirits were high and the people were looking forward, seeking to create a lasting monument to resistance and the pursuit of justice. To the north of the memorial, in front of the closed Crystal Corner Bar, above which the marquee reads “Corey Ruiz,” Freedom Inc. has set up a tent to carry out a four-day educational series where they will discuss in detail their demands to get justice for Corey and create change in Madison.

On this first day of sessions, led by Freedom Inc., the immediate task was to write postcards laying out the demands to be delivered to city officials, including Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and District Attorney Ismael Ozanne, who has presided over several police murders in his tenure and continuously refused to press charges despite consistent community backlash.

The demands are as follows: Arrest the killer cop (Kiel Baitinger-Peterson); defund the police; hand over all evidence to independent monitor so that OIPM (Office of the Independent Police Monitor) can do an investigation; strengthen the PCO (Police Civilian Oversight) Board, and community control over police.

These demands have been crafted by Freedom Inc. in coordination with the family of Corey Ruiz. After 26 years of struggle, first against racial profiling and gender inequality in Madison’s Southeast Asian community, and their shift in 2003 to do the same for the Black and LGBTQ peoples, Freedom Inc. along with their many partners are well-equipped to weather the battles ahead and achieve justice.

#MadisonWI #WI #InjusticeSystem #CoreyRuiz

Madison, WI – On July 25, the fourth evening since the murder of Corey Ruiz in Madison, Wisconsin, people from across the city gather again to mourn and demand justice.

As they awaited a larger crowd marching from the site of the execution, dozens chanted and talked until their arrival. Many spoke, including Jay Gonstead, one of Corey’s unhoused neighbors, who expressed his deep grief at the loss of a friend, emphasizing that this violence is nothing new to Madison’s homeless community. With a $98 million budget, the Madison Police Department is withholding resources that could be used to help people. Instead, they use resources to murder people and destroy the lives of families.

As the crowd marching from the east arrived, a leader from Impact Demand, a youth affiliate of Freedom Inc., described the plan for the evening, shutting down State Street, one of the city’s most active economic centers.

Moments later, hundreds of angry community members left the capitol grounds to occupy the street in front of several of the city’s busiest bars and restaurants. According to organizers, the city of Madison will not return to regular life, be it in collecting tax revenue on alcohol sales during the bustling college town nightlife, or in traversing regular routes to work.

The Williamson/Baldwin intersection will remain occupied, and the people will keep fighting until they have justice for Corey Ruiz’s murder.

#MadisonWI #WI #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #CoreyRuiz #Feature

Madison, WI – Hundreds gathered, for the third night in a row, July 24, in the spot where the Madison Police Department (MPD) murdered Corey Ruiz. Another police killing took place on this same street 11 years ago, when officer Matt Kenny shot and killed Tony Robinson Jr.

Among the organizations in attendance were Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, Madison Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Inc, a group that consistently fights for community control over police.

Miss Jewel of Freedom Inc spoke about the need to keep the fight going, emphasizing that they won’t let up until they have firing and hiring power over the crooked Madison cops. She was met with enthusiastic cheers from a diverse and enraged crowd of community members.

After 30 minutes of rousing speeches from survivors of police crimes and from community organizers, the crowd made its way around rows of barricades and city trucks in the direction of the police precinct, where chants of “Justice for Corey” shook the windows of the sheriff’s office.

After circling the capitol building and turning onto East Washington, one of Madison’s busiest streets, the crowd turned to face the capitol to tell the government exactly what they wanted: jail killer cops. Continuing along the road, they shut down both sides of the street, shouting Ruiz’s name for the entire city to hear.

Hundreds of protesters approached the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin, preparing to continue the people’s occupation indefinitely.

Madison has nearly come to a halt in the past few days. Businesses, both corporate and family-owned, are shutting their doors. Streets have been closed indefinitely. Farmers markets, public markets, festivals and more have been canceled. Bars have canceled concerts or redirected funds to the family of Corey Ruiz. All has been in pursuit of holding the murderer cop to account.

Although a homicide investigation into killer Kiel has been opened, justice still hasn’t been delivered. The spirit of resistance in Madison is alive. Without justice, there will be no peace. Without justice, these killer cops will get no sleep. Justice for Corey Ruiz. Justice for Tony Robinson. Community control of the police now!

#MadisonWI #WI #InjusticeSystem #CoreyRuiz #KillerCop #Feature

Madison, WI – Three days after the brutal July 22 murder of Corey Ruiz by the Madison Police Department, the city continues to mourn. At the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin, protesters are still occupying the street. Hundreds of candles and flowers cover the ground where his life was stolen. All four roads are blocked by barricades and city trucks. The sentiment is firm that they will not leave until justice is achieved.

As the sun beats down on the concrete, in rolls a large statue of a raised fist, which formerly occupied George Floyd Square in Minneapolis. Constructed and delivered by a collective of independent artists, the statue was delivered as a symbol of solidarity and resistance to police violence.

#MadisonWI #WI #InJusticeSystem #KillerCops #CoreyRuiz

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression.

On Wednesday, July 22nd, a Madison Police Officer murdered Cory Ruiz, with an officer firing three rounds into him while he lay down, unable to fight back. The people of Madison are already protesting, fed up with unjust police killings justified with press conferences and proclamations. They know what happens if we sit back and do nothing. The police and their supporters will offer empty promises of investigation and accountability. They will place a few officers on administrative leave and transfer them to different departments. They will say they did their best. They will attempt to wait for the story to leave the limelight, to fade from the public narrative.

The people in the streets of Madison – and the Alliance- refuse to accept that. We won’t wait for empty answers. We won’t sit back quietly while they try to force us to passively support a system that lets cops kill adults, teenagers, children, and even infants through their negligence and aggression. We will agitate and organize and fight until we make the death of Ruiz impossible to ignore. NAARPR branches across the country should mobilize and protest in solidarity and for all victims of police crimes in their cities.

We know exactly what this is: A modern lynching justified with the language of law and order. It's time to hit the streets and demand an end to police terror!

Justice for Corey Ruiz!

Community Control of the Police Now!

End the War on Black People!

Indict and Convict the Killer Cops!

#InjusticeSystem #NAARPR #CoreyRuiz #MadisonWI #WI

Madison, WI – Several hundred Madisonians took to the streets on Saturday, June 13, for the second annual Queer Liberation March, where they uplifted demands to defend bodily autonomy.

First among the demands of the event was to “Protect trans youth.” This demand is raised as groups like the Transgender Resistance Action Committee and Reproductive Justice Action-Milwaukee continue to fight against Wisconsin healthcare authorities who complied with orders from the Trump administration by “pausing” gender affirming care and have silently refused to restore that care as the orders are found to be illegal.

After listing members of the UW Hospitals and Clinics Authority Board by name to an enthusiastic crowd, Emma Hargrove from the Transgender Resistance Action Committee said, “We have to make them feel the world outside of their home offices. The world they wreck. The people they hurt. I want them to be ashamed, and soon I want them to be nervous.”

Endorsing organizations also demanded “Healthcare for all” and to “Empower queer workers,” with the latter specifying the need to reverse Scott Walker’s Act 10 and “right to work,” as well as the reinstatement of Wisconsin’s prevailing wage law.

Along the march from McPike Park to the capitol, rejection of the backward Trump administration resonated among the crowd and with excited passersby who voiced their explicit support. Chants of “We won’t go back!” and “Don’t trust Trump’s lies!” were felt deeply by many attendees.

After a stop at the city county building, where protesters chalked the sidewalk with demands and pro-LGBTQ messages, the march proceeded through the Dane County Farmer’s Market where the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, Madison Police Department, and other agencies were using the “Safety Saturday” educational event led by the city of Madison Fire Department to display militarized vehicles and engage in recruitment efforts. As the hundreds of marchers passed by these booths they chanted “Fuck 12” and “We are TR!”, the latter being a chant popularized after the 2015 murder of Tony Robinson Jr. by MPD Officer Matt Kenny.

The event concluded on the steps of the capitol, with a speech from Milcah Rimmer of Freedom Inc., who wielded the famous quote by Assata Shakur to remind the crowd, “It is our duty to fight for our freedom. It is our duty to win!” Organizers affirmed that the Queer Liberation March will continue to be an annual event, free from cops and corporate influence.

The march was organized by a committee of LGBTQ community members and allies, including members of the Wisconsin district of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, Madison Students for a Democratic Society, the Transgender Resistance Action Committee, Madison Area Democratic Socialists of America, and the South Central Federation of Labor, among others. Additional endorsements included Freedom Inc., who fights for Black and Southeast Asian Liberation, and against Queer and Gender injustice, as well as several Trade Unions and Cooperatives.

#MadisonWI #WI #LGBTQ #Trans

Madison, WI – On Tuesday, January 27, over 1000 students from UW-Madison and the surrounding area joined Madison Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) to protest the murders of Alex Pretti, Renee Good and Keith Porter by ICE agents. Students rallied for ICE out of the Midwest and demanded that UW-Madison be made a sanctuary campus.

Protesters filled Madison’s Library Mall in -10 degree wind chill, chanting “ICE ICE will be beat, when the people hit the street!” as they settled in to hear the first speech of the night from Jewish voices for Peace on the importance of Holocaust Remembrance Day and the parallels with current ICE operations. Then there was a moment of silence to commemorate the victims of ICE.

After the moment of silence were chants from the crowd, calling for “Justice for Keith Porter! Justice for Renee Good! Justice for Alex Pretti!” The explosive energy from the crowd was emblematic of a large portion of the student body, whose calls for the abolition of ICE have been heard throughout the week.

In the final speech of the night, Luca Motivala, co-chair of Madison SDS, closed his speech with the remark, “We will not forget those they murdered, those who will be murdered, the faces and names and memories will live on eternally. We will neither forgive nor forget those who perpetrated this violence; they believe they are invincible, untouchable. It will not be that way. Their day will come!”

Students ended the rally with calls to “Shut it down” if UW-Madison administration did not implement sanctuary campus policies.

#MadisonWI #WI #ImmigrantRights #ICE #KillerICE #AlexPRetti #SDS #StudentMovement #Feature

Madison, WI – As part of a Global Weekend of Action called by the BDS Movement, a contingent of about 40 peace activists led by World Beyond War-UW, including the newly formed Students for a Democratic Society-UW Madison chapter, community members and religious organizations, followed by Madison Area DSA, made the cause of Palestine impossible to ignore at the city's 48th annual Willy Street Fair, September 21.

As is tradition for the second day of the festival, a parade kicked off from the 900 block of Williamson Street, set to march about six blocks through the historic Williamson-Marquette neighborhood. Front and center, behind the sponsors, the beloved “Bubblemobile” coughed large clumps of bubbles into the air and immediately the chanting began.

In a typically light-hearted and proudly “weird” environment like the Willy Street Fair, chants of “From the river to the sea,” and “Stand up, fight back” echoed between the homes and small businesses. Ensuring that no fair-goer forget that while their funnel cakes fry, children are dying in Palestine. Not only from starvation, but from weapons provided by the U.S. government.

Later in the day, as part of the same BDS Movement call to action, World Beyond War-UW led a significantly longer walk, with 20 or so people carrying signs and banners around the entirety of Lake Monona, a 12-mile journey, to continue bringing attention to American complicity in Israel's crimes.

#MadisonWI #WI #AntiWarMovement #Palestine #BDS #StudentMovement #SDS

Madison, WI – On January 18, Reproductive Justice Action Milwaukee (RJAM) stood at the forefront of the fight for reproductive freedom, participating in two powerful marches held simultaneously in Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. These events were part of the People’s March National Day of Action, which drew thousands to the streets, united in their support of women’s and reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, workers’ rights, global solidarity, and immigrant rights.

In Milwaukee, protesters filled the streets with chants and signs, calling for unrestricted access to abortion and an end to political interference in personal health decisions. Similarly, 75 miles to the west in Madison, marchers braved the cold to make their voices heard at the state capitol. Both events highlighted the growing outrage with the policies of the Trump administration, which many fear will intensify repression and further erode reproductive rights.

RJAM’s speakers at both events underscored the need for grassroots action, emphasizing that politicians regardless of party, cannot be trusted to protect abortion access.

“Both parties have let us down. That’s why our fight isn’t about relying on politicians – it’s about building a movement that puts power back in the hands of the people,” said Carly Klein, a founding member of Reproductive Justice Action- Milwaukee, to a crowd of 300 in Milwaukee.

“We are prepared to fight, not just for the next four years, but for as long as it takes. Because this isn’t just about one administration. It’s about building a society rooted in justice, sustainability and liberation for all of us,” stated Blake Jones, to the crowd of the hundreds of people who flooded the capitol building in Madison.

The marches were a resounding call to action, for attendees to mobilize further than just voting or attending protests. As threats to abortion access grow under the current political climate, RJAM and their allies are doubling down on their commitment to grassroots organizing, ensuring that the movement for reproductive rights remains strong and resilient in the face of mounting challenges.

The events in Milwaukee and Madison were a testament to the power of collective action, with hundreds of voices uniting to demand a future where reproductive freedom is non-negotiable.

#MadisonWI #WI #WomensMovement #ReproductiveRights #RJAM #PeoplesMarch #LGBTQ #Trump