Posted on 03/27/2026 6:57:12 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin
For decades, Madison has worn its reputation for protest as a civic badge — from Vietnam War demonstrations to the Act 10 Capitol occupation in 2011. That tradition is surging again, with another mass protest planned for Saturday
Since President Donald Trump took office for a second term last year, Madison police say protests have grown more frequent, drawing crowds to the Capitol, campus and city streets.
In response, the Madison Police Department has begun holding a series of community conversations. This effort, department leaders said, is to explain how officers balance public safety with protecting the right to demonstrate in a city where protest is part of its identity.
“We give a lot of leeway to our community members and their protests and events,” said South District Neighborhood Officer Mitchell Favor while presenting at the Goodman South Library on Wednesday to a group of more than a dozen gathered in one of the community rooms.
The Police Department has long operated under what it refers to as the “Madison Method” of policing protests. Compared with the police response in other cities, the approach might seem hands-off. The philosophy is one of restraint, flexibility and prioritizing public safety while also understanding that people have a constitutional right to peacefully protest, department officials say.
“We protect people first and property second,” said Madison South District Patrol Lt. Scott Reitmeier.
The department prefers to know about protests ahead of time and cooperate with demonstrators.
“The preferred police response is one of crowd management, rather than crowd control,” said Officer Jesse Davila.
On Saturday, Madisonians will again take to the streets to protest the Trump administration in a third “No Kings” protest following similar gatherings of thousands in October and June of last year.
At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, protesters will gather at Brittingham Park and march to the Capitol for a rally at 2 p.m.
Reitmeier said he’s been in contact with the organizers of the event.
Police recommend acquiring a protest or demonstration permit from the city ahead of time so officers can cooperate with the protest and make sure demonstrators and members of the general public are safe.
“It's helpful for us as a department when we know who's hosting the event, how to contact them, how many people are planning to attend and where they're going to be,” Favor said.
That way the department can plan alternative traffic routes to account for road closures and keep public transit informed if bus lines need to reroute temporarily.
The department prefers to know about protests ahead of time and cooperate with demonstrators.
“The preferred police response is one of crowd management, rather than crowd control,” said Officer Jesse Davila.
On Saturday, Madisonians will again take to the streets to protest the Trump administration in a third “No Kings” protest following similar gatherings of thousands in October and June of last year.
At 12:30 p.m. Saturday, protesters will gather at Brittingham Park and march to the Capitol for a rally at 2 p.m.
Reitmeier said he’s been in contact with the organizers of the event.
Police recommend acquiring a protest or demonstration permit from the city ahead of time so officers can cooperate with the protest and make sure demonstrators and members of the general public are safe.
“It's helpful for us as a department when we know who's hosting the event, how to contact them, how many people are planning to attend and where they're going to be,” Favor said.
That way the department can plan alternative traffic routes to account for road closures and keep public transit informed if bus lines need to reroute temporarily.
“This is our third 'No Kings' that we’re coming up on this weekend,” Reitmeier said.
More than well aware of that. It’s the same crowd of CHEATERS marching tomorrow, no doubt!
Love it! :)
This is our third ‘No Kings’ that we’re coming up on this weekend.
They must be eating to much cheese again they need more beer to balance the body it helps the brain function properly.
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