It's amazing what Democrats can do when an election is on the line. For almost two weeks, leftists have terrorized residents in Madison's Marquette neighborhood, building an encampment at the intersection of Williamson and Baldwin streets and preventing residents and business owners from going about their lives.
Make no mistake, our sympathies should be limited. Most of these people voted for the Democrats who allowed this insanity to happen, and many of them will still vote for Francesca Hong. It was Hong who helped spur the autonomous zone after the July 22 shooting of career criminal Corey Ruiz. Ruiz pulled a knife on Madison police, who shot him. Ruiz — who has at least 40 prior arrests — was set loose from prison in May and was already noncompliant with the terms of his release.
But the optics of a city besieged by leftists wouldn't help Hong, who is running for governor, win over voters outside of Dane and Milwaukee Counties. That's why Hong called for an end to the encampment, much to the ire of her socialist comrades and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway did the same.
Surprisingly, Madison police actually removed the encampment. But those leftists didn't go quietly. They lit fires and threw rocks at law enforcement.
The city tells me this was meant to be peaceful. Buses were brought in to give people an option to move. The decision to remove the encampment was announced and protestors lit fires and threw rocks at city workers pic.twitter.com/jEL8IGEuiC
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
As this writer noted the other day, sources within the Madison police department said they were ordered to stand down and not respond to calls in the autonomous zone.
Police had to use force to remove some of the protesters.
Police have removed protestors pic.twitter.com/1UCL8law7e
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
The scene was described as "chaotic" with pepper spray being deployed.
A chaotic scene her at Willy and Baldwin, with some use of pepper spray. A number of people were arrested and taken away pic.twitter.com/OEJaD4kXTH
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
EMS responded to treat those who had been hit with pepper spray.
EMTs are treating those who got pepper sprayed pic.twitter.com/o18iY5dGpa
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
The intersection is open for the first time in two weeks.
For the first time in two weeks, the intersection at Williamson and Baldwin Streets is clear, traffic will be able to flow normally pic.twitter.com/wavTy1nPtR
— Laura Schulte (@SchulteLaura) August 4, 2026
Imagine that. Being able to travel around your city without having to skirt a bunch of insane leftists.
Fiery and rocky but mostly peaceful protest https://t.co/KiTKJmqM1W
— Dan O'Donnell (@DanODonnellShow) August 4, 2026
The police officer involved in the shooting, meanwhile, is facing death threats. Leftists are threatening to rape and murder the officer's family, too, and he's had to move them multiple times. Violence against law enforcement will not stop. Activists want that officer arrested and jailed without a trial.
Make no mistake: this was only done because Hong is running for governor. If this wasn't an election year, the autonomous zone would have remained until the winter. Hong herself encouraged it by calling the Ruiz shooting an "execution." She supports this, and even Hong's statement yesterday called for "direct action" to continue. That's a call to violence, and the Left has called for "direct action" for ages.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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