MADISON, Wis. — City crews in Madison began clearing the protest encampment at the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin streets early Tuesday, nearly two weeks after the fatal police shooting of 38-year-old Corey Ruiz.
According to our partners at WISC-TV in Madison, city trucks and Wisconsin State Patrol units arrived before 5 a.m., with workers giving people in the encampment verbal warnings to leave the area. Williamson Street reopened to traffic just after 9 a.m.
The intersection has remained closed since July 22, when a Madison police officer shot and killed Ruiz during a struggle with authorities. In the days that followed, the site became both a memorial and a protest encampment, with demonstrators erecting barricades and blocking traffic.
Madison Police tell WISC-TV several people were taken into custody this morning.
In recent days, Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway repeatedly called for the encampment to end, saying it was disrupting nearby businesses and residents while urging a peaceful transition that would preserve the memorial and allow the community to continue healing.
