MADISON, Wis. — Protesters in Madison have shifted their demonstration to the Dane County Safety Building, two blocks from the state Capitol, after city leaders and police cleared a protest encampment for Corey Ruiz that had been occupied for two weeks.
RELATED:Protesters in Madison move to Dane County Safety Building after protest encampment for Corey Ruiz is cleared
"Today we're here to bail out our black folks, youth, women, queer, lgbtq folks, and men," Jewel Adams of Freedom Bail Fund 350 said.
Zon Moua, executive leader of Freedom Inc., said the demonstration reflects frustration with city spending priorities.
"The city is not investing in actual care and making sure our community, those most vulnerable, are actually housed, have quality health care, have quality housing, able to access healthy foods," Moua said. "Community is out here because the city continues to invest in jails and policing."
Moua also connected the new protest location directly to the cleared encampment and the city's treatment of its most vulnerable residents.
"They're all connected. again, the city continues to fail our community," Moua said. "The city is not addressing the needs of those most vulnerable."
During a
press conference Wednesday, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway said that city leaders offered extensive resources to unhoused individuals occupying the encampment, including hotel rooms and bus tickets.
Not everyone agrees with how the situation was handled.
"She responded by putting a bandaid over a much bigger issue," Moua said.
Others commend the mayor's efforts.
"I do feel relief because something like this can easily escalate into something ten times more violent with more deaths," Carol, a Madison resident, said.
TMJ4 News reached out to Mayor Rhodes-Conway for comment regarding the new protest location and is waiting to hear back.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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