Wednesday evening update on Library Mall encampment

5:00 p.m.

Since this morning, after the University of Wisconsin Police Department and other law enforcement partners cleared an unlawful tent encampment, additional tents have gone up on Library Mall. There were and continue to be serious safety concerns with a prolonged encampment, as Chancellor Mnookin noted in her earlier message.

During the operation the morning, some protestors actively resisted officers’ efforts to clear tents, leading to 34 being briefly detained. Most were released without citation but four were booked into the Dane County Jail for acts that include battery to police officers.

Conditions on Library Mall remain generally calm, despite the presence of the illegal encampment. UWPD officers will observe the encampment in the interest of public safety. Campus operations are functioning normally, and events are proceeding as scheduled.

UW–Madison remains supportive of peaceful protest compliant with the law and campus protest policies and deeply values the constitutionally protected right to free expression.

The university has created a free expression and campus protests site to provide ongoing official campus updates and resources.