"It's Time for the Barricades to Come Down"

Community Update from Mayor Rhodes-Conway (July 31)

For Immediate Release
July 31, 2026

"There is palpable grief in our community and we must move forward with compassion and grace. I believe Madison can and must do better. A lot better. We need to start that work now. We cannot do that while facing the immediate crisis of an occupation of public spaces. The current blockade of a major thoroughfare detours public bus routes, makes it more difficult for community members to reach their jobs, and impedes fire and EMS response. It is causing real, possibly irreparable, harm to local business owners and community services that remain shut down due to the ongoing occupation.  

The people engaging in this activity are members of our community who care about improving Madison and righting legitimate wrongs. But we mustn't squander this energy by abandoning the rule of the law, jeopardizing the livelihoods of our neighbors, and pretending that any single entity, be it City government or someone else, alone, can solve systemic problems overnight. What's currently happening cannot be sustained — in fact, we are wasting precious resources that we need to solve real problems.  

The occupation at the intersection of Williamson Street and Baldwin Street must end. Outreach workers are actively connecting unhoused individuals with services and shelter. There are many opportunities to provide mutual aid to people experiencing homelessness, and I encourage everyone to work with organizations already providing that support. This work can often take time and can be complicated, but we are doing our absolute best to find solutions. What remains true is that this intersection is not a safe location for people to be sleeping in tents, nor for children to play alongside nail-studded blockades. 

The life of Corey Ruiz will never be forgotten. The intersection of Williamson Street and Baldwin Street will never be the same. I'm committed to realizing a positive vision in collaboration with Corey's family for a memorial in that space so that our community will never forget. Madison needs more hard conversations, and more hard work, to realize a better future. We must take the first step towards having those conversations in a realistic, non-destructive way. And that starts with voluntarily taking down the barricades, coming together to decide what comes next, and channeling our collective momentum towards a better Madison. I stand ready to work on the next phase. It's time for the barricades to come down."

— Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway