Author: Sam Buisman

Hundreds of marchers stormed down West Washington Avenue to the Capitol Wednesday night, continuing Madison's protests for George Floyd.

At 8:30 P.M. on Wednesday, around 250 protestors motivated by the killing of George Floyd and continued police brutality in the United States met at Brittingham Park before marching through the South Capitol neighborhood towards the square. As they marched, the protestors chanted and cheered to try and draw the residents who lived along their marching path out of their homes and into the street with them.

While the roads leading to the Capitol were not closed off, two clusters of cars driven by protestors advanced ahead of the marchers and brought up their rear to block traffic. According to the Madison Police Department, officers on the scene monitored the march but did not intervene and asked local traffic to avoid West Washington.

In addition to the usual roster of chants, the protestors through call-and-response named specific policies they demanded of the city, including community control of the police, Brianna's Law and the Hands Up Act.

Upon reaching the Capitol, the protestors mingled on its front lawn while a PA system played music and provided a platform for speakers.

Wednesday marked the 19th straight day of activism in downtown Madison for changes in local policing. Madison's demonstrations have been part of the nationwide wave of protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd, a black man, by a white former Minneapolis police officer.