Finally, the City of Madison, Wisconsin, is doing something about the Corey Ruiz Autonomous Zone, an encampment and memorial in the middle of the intersection where Madison police shot and killed career criminal Ruiz after he pulled a knife and injured an officer. Early this morning, both local and state police officers, along with heavy equipment, moved in to clear the intersection.
Laura Schulte is a reporter with the Madison Journal Sentinel:
Live look from about 5:20 this morning when I arrived at the encampment pic.twitter.com/v6fXE1keYG
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
Lovely encampment they've got going there in Ruiz's memory.
Protestors are protecting the memorial in the center of Willy and Baldwin Streets as bulldozers move in the background pic.twitter.com/LThXFPjdH2
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
The city tells me this was meant to be peaceful. Buses were brought in to give people an option to move. The decision to remove the encampment was announced and protestors lit fires and threw rocks at city workers pic.twitter.com/jEL8IGEuiC
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
State police are now on scene too. Protestors are alleging that the streets division nearly hit a tent housing people with heavy equipment pic.twitter.com/J2vMshJ20g
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
Oh no! Anyway …
Finally, police are doing their jobs.
Police have removed protestors pic.twitter.com/1UCL8law7e
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
This is exactly what needed to happen. This crowd of Antifa-BLM activists took over a public street. They closed down businesses and terrorized those who lived and worked in the area. The City of Madison is correctly dismantling this nonsense!
— LASD Chief Patrick Jordan (Retired) (@LASDJordan) August 4, 2026
Recommended
Bring in the water canons.
— Jim Burgess (@45acpcomp) August 4, 2026
So great that the police are the ones sweeping this idiot installation.
— TankieRage (@TankieRage) August 4, 2026
Too funny. Look at all the graffiti and garbage. These domestic terrorists don't care about the suspect. They just want a reason to be lazy and dirty.
— breakfastball (@28PF34) August 4, 2026
They are not protesters.
— The Girondin 🇺🇸 🌲 (@TheGirondin) August 4, 2026
I love the sweet sound of accountability in the morning.
— Falkirk (@Jb089112) August 4, 2026
The little communist screams are music to my ears.
— Sugmag Suggerson (@suggerson) August 4, 2026
Is it wrong to say this feels so right 🤔
— Suzie (@cardart4) August 4, 2026
The shrieking is delicious
— Fern Wrecker (@scottktm450) August 4, 2026
We have to admit, it is. Just shut up and go home.
Not enough batons and water cannons for me tbh
— Disaffected Patriot (@DisaffectedOne) August 4, 2026
It's not a memorial, it's a crime scene. Arrest all of them
— Chuck Hessler (@Chuck_Hessler) August 4, 2026
I think 98% of the population is over the I do whatever I want crowd. Stabbing a cop is not a reason to protest.
— Spoosh (@Spooshuw) August 4, 2026
They can create nothing, they can build nothing. All they know is disaster and ruin.
— SlamPack (@DidChaseSlamIt) August 4, 2026
Ruiz was shot back on July 22, and protesters immediately blockaded the "memorial site" with their bikes. This encampment lasted 13 days, which is way too long.
For the first time in two weeks, the intersection at Williamson and Baldwin Streets is clear, traffic will be able to flow normally pic.twitter.com/wavTy1nPtR
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
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