Black Lives Matter protest marches across campus
Students are speaking out against recent events on the UW-Madison campus regarding racial discrimination
There is currently a large Black Lives Matters protest marching across campus.
Around one hundred students are at the base of State street.
Chalk has been given out and everyone is drawing in the courtyard to reclaim the space.
Some of the chalkings say: “Black Lives Matter” and “White supremacy is a disease.”
Protesters made a huge circle holding hands while chanting: “It is our duty to fight for our freedom, it is our duty to win. We must love and support one another. We have nothing to lose but our chains.”
What seems to have started on Bascom Hill, moved through the first floor of College Library and began marching on North Park street.
Police arrived and were helping with traffic on the intersection of North Park and University Ave.
Students are speaking out against recent events on the UW-Madison campus regarding racial discrimination.
Students in College Library told The Tab they heard protesters say “This is our library, fuck white supremacy” as well as “King couldn’t learn cause of y’all, you ain’t gonna learn cause of me.”
Protesters are holding up signs which say “Community control of the police.”
The student lead movement is having many people speak out in the form of poems, songs and personal statements. The outcry is in response to several recent events. Last week a student pulled from a lecture hall and arrested for vandalism drawing attention to racist tensions on campus.
One of the main points of the protest is to draw attention to this event.
Protesters are holding signs which read: “Pretending to tolerate humanity iz hard,” “Art iz not a crime.” It is believed the use of ‘z’ instead of ‘s’ is in solidarity with the graffiti the student was arrested for.
Several faculty members have stood and spoke in solidarity with the protestors movement.
Both white and of color faculty made statements supporting the students. They agreed the administration was more concerned about “its image” than its students, especially minority students.
One faculty member said, “We must say no to the hate, to the racism” and “While my skin may be white I stand with you as your sister in this struggle.”
There were also references to the recent sexual harassment and assault instances which have occurred on campus in the past few weeks.
The faculty said it is time the University treats vandalism on student dorms with swastikas with the same response they treat vandalism that draws attention to racism. This is in reference to past incidents where Jewish students have had swastikas drawn on their dorm room doors.