More arrests in Madison as quieter day of protests turns into tense afternoon

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- In Madison Wednesday evening, August 5, there were more confrontations between protesters and police as the fallout from last month’s deadly police shooting continues.

For most of the day, the tension was significantly lower than in previous days.

But then more people returned to the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin. They eventually clashed with police.

There were plenty of mentions of Corey Ruiz throughout the protest, but a broad, anti-police message was the overall theme.

The protest was much smaller Wednesday. Things were calm at first, then took a turn mid-afternoon.

Shadayra Kilfoy-Flores knows the area well. She told us, “We had to go through the shock, the anger. We were getting to healing. But, unfortunately, when you put trauma on top of trauma… We’re behind square one.”

Protesters say that progress evaporated when the city of Madison moved in and disbanded the encampment earlier this week.

Tempers again flared up Wednesday.

The day started quietly. At a news conference, the mayor, police chief, and city officials addressed a path forward.

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said, “We are absolutely committed to allowing space for some sort of memorial. It just can’t be in the middle of the traffic lanes.”

Police Chief John Patterson spoke at length about the uphill battle that lies ahead. “I feel like our trust is very fragile right now,” Patterson said. “We have a tremendous amount of work to do.”

A short time later, community groups rallied outside the Dane County Jail in support of people who were arrested while protesting for Corey Ruiz.

Zon Moua, the executive leader of community group Freedom Inc., said, “We are out here making sure that our people are freed, and they're welcomed home.”

For several hours, it was the only formal protest in the city.

At about 5:00 in the afternoon the organized protest outside the jail packed up for the night. Some of those protesters were headed back to the intersection.

For a time, just nine protesters walked circles through the crosswalks.

But steadily, more people arrived at the site of the onetime encampment.

Kilfoy-Flores said, “I felt like people were beginning to see each other’s humanity. And then the police came in and didn’t see any of the humanity.”

Police officers stood by on each corner to ensure the intersection remained open to traffic.

Protesters became more emboldened and provocative, often shouting profanities at officers. At least three people were taken into custody.

Josh Blank said, “I don’t think I can declare a wrong way to protest.”

While emotions ran high, some people tried a different approach, engaging with officers and trying to connect.

Blank said, “I just hope I can do something. I hope that someone I looked in the eye today takes something away from this and makes it a little better.”