MADISON, Wis. — Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway is calling for the occupation at the intersection of Williamson Street and Baldwin Street to end, saying the city must begin the process of healing following the deadly police shooting of Corey Ruiz.
The intersection has become the site of an encampment and memorial since Ruiz was shot and killed by a Madison police officer. In a statement released Sunday, the mayor said the city has worked to preserve space for the memorial while also trying to reopen the intersection to traffic.
“We have been actively delivering the message that the best path forward is for the occupation to end peacefully so the real work of healing the community and enacting change can begin,” Rhodes-Conway said.
The mayor said the prolonged occupation is taking a toll on nearby residents and businesses in the Marquette neighborhood, with some workers losing income, businesses laying off employees and others facing possible permanent closure.
Rhodes-Conway also said the encampment is increasingly occupied by people experiencing homelessness. She said the city, Dane County and nonprofit partners have provided crisis counseling, outreach services and temporary hotel accommodations for about 25 to 30 people, including several families with children, though some have declined assistance.
The mayor pushed back on claims circulating online that the city has supported the occupation by providing porta-potties, dumpsters or funding.
“Any assertions to the contrary are false and are among the many rumors and misinformation circulating online,” she said.
Rhodes-Conway outlined several steps she believes would allow the occupation to end peacefully, including removing barricades and vehicles blocking the intersection, relocating memorial items to preserve them while reopening the roadway, and moving food preparation and mutual aid efforts to another location.
“But I want to make it very clear. The occupation of Williamson Street and Baldwin Street needs to end now,” said Rhodes-Conway.
