Info for No Kings Protest this Saturday
postedHey all,
I wanted to pass along some information about the No Kings protest that is occurring this Saturday. From 12-2 p.m. there will be a gathering at Library Mall. The demonstration is scheduled to begin with a 2 p.m. march from Library Mall on State Street, ending at the King Street corner of the state Capitol. The speaker program and rally will run from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m.
There will be a lot of car traffic, and parking will also be difficult. Please either carpool, ride the bus, or bike, and prepare for delays!
The protests were planned before the events in L.A., and there is potential for counter-protesters. If you encounter counter-protesters, do not engage, and try to de-escalate.
I also have some information from Madison's acting Police Chief, John Patterson. I want to emphasize a few things from him:
- MPD does not detain people based on suspected immigration/citizenship status. Immigration status is only relevant when an officer believes that a person has committed serious crimes related to public safety, such as suspected terrorism or violent felonies.
- MPD has been in contact with the organizers, and are focused on making sure that everyone can exercise their first amendment right. Please report any suspicious or dangerous behavior.
- There are many events going on downtown, including the Dane County Farmer's Market. Be sure to expect congestion and traffic.
Information from Acting Police Chief John Patterson
We will have MPD staff supporting every event downtown, and again there are several. Reference the plans for the protest - we have been in contact with protest organizers, and we anticipate a safely run event. The event is planned for a gathering on Library Mall from 12pm – 2pm, a march at 2pm up State Street (traffic will be blocked by MPD during the march), and then a final rally location at the State Cap Building with speakers ending between 4-5pm.
Officers from our Special Events Team will be staffing the protest and will help ensure that everyone’s right to assemble and exercise their free speech is protected. Again, organizers have been in regular contact with us and we understand their objectives and goals for Saturday and we all share the goal of safety for everyone in attendance and for everyone who will be near the event. Please ask people to call or contact an officer in person if they see anything or anyone who may not share that same goal of safety for all.
Our mission is to provide high quality police services that are accessible to all members of our community. MPD will continue to provide access to anyone seeking our services.
Our code of conduct (link can be found here) speaks directly to the enforcement of immigration laws. If we are to be true to our mission statement and to the principles of community policing, we must work to ensure that our services are inclusive to everyone in the community. With that in mind, an individual’s right to file a report with the MPD or request our services will not be dependent on their immigration status. We will not self-initiate contact, detain, arrest, or investigate any person(s) solely for a suspected violation of immigration status laws.
Per MPD standard operating procedure (link to this SOP can be found here), immigration status is only relevant when an officer believes that a person has committed serious crimes related to public safety (please review the SOP for those defined circumstances). Again, this approach is not new and has remained consistent for years. Crime victims or other people wishing to report an incident or have a crime investigated should always feel comfortable calling the MPD.
Here are some additional resources
African Center for Community Development
Dane County Immigration Affairs Office website
Amigos En Azul and Immigration Resources
