Wednesday UWPD update on Library Mall encampment

3:50 p.m. update: UWPD is sharing preliminary arrest numbers. A total of 34 people were arrested this morning. A majority of those arrested were released with no citation issued. Of those arrested, four were booked into the Dane County Jail on the following offenses.

Names and updated charges are below:

1. Caleb A. Brown: Attempted disarming a police officer and resisting arrest (x2)
2. Leo A. Randle (UW affiliated): Battery to a police officer
3. Karl M. Schultz: Battery to a police officer and resisting arrest
4. Trevor H. Carter: Battery to a police officer

10:45 a.m. update: Four police injuries have been reported. Dane County had three deputies injured — all directly related to the physical resistance. In addition, a State Trooper sustained injuries when a protester struck their head with a skateboard.

Updated 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 1, 2024:

An encampment of protestors on Library Mall was dispersed after 7 a.m. Wednesday by officers from UWPD, assisted by state and local law enforcement.

At least 12 people were arrested, including several who resisted arrest. It is not yet clear how many are affiliated with UW–Madison. UWPD was assisted by the Madison Police Department, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and the Wisconsin State Patrol.

Multiple tents were taken down and disassembled to remove the encampment.

Campus continues to operate normally on Wednesday and there is no threat to safety. UWPD remains on scene to ensure any continuing protests remain safe and lawful.

UW-Madison values free expression and has consistently supported those who exercise their rights, within the boundaries of law and campus policies.

Tents and camping are not allowed on any university property under Chapter 18 of the Wisconsin Administrative Code, which defines the types of activities permitted on campus, information which was shared to all members of the campus community on Friday.

Around 9 a.m. Monday, a group of 100-200 people arrived for an announced demonstration. The group began erecting tents beginning around 9:30 a.m. and spent the next two days on Library Mall.

Over the course of several hours Monday and Tuesday, campus leaders engaged with those protesting on Library Mall, asking them to remove the illegal tents, distributing printed warnings, and ultimately offering to meet with protest organizers once the tents were removed from campus grounds.

Shortly before 7 a.m. Wednesday, a team of UWPD officers arrived at Library Mall and began a series of warnings, asking individuals to remove tents and camping materials from the grounds.

After 15 minutes of constant warnings, officers issued one final warning, that officers would begin removing tents and camping equipment – and arrests would happen if protesters confronted officers or tried to interfere.

While several people left, many did not and circled a small group of tents. At around 7:15 a.m., UWPD teams, along with other local law enforcement partners, moved in and started removing tents and camping equipment.

UWPD teams eventually engaged with protesters to remove the remaining tents that they were encircling. Protesters pushed toward officers at times becoming confrontational, resulting in several arrests.