Peaceful protests in Milwaukee follow a night of unrest; art replaces vandalism in Madison

As tear gas dissipated from Tuesday night's clashes with police in Milwaukee, several groups protested peacefully Wednesday as a way to urge folks to come together to fight injustice instead of fighting each other.

Yes, they were protesting the senseless death last week of George Floyd, whose life was extinguished by the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, but they were also protesting racial injustice.

A couple of marches were organized in metro Milwaukee, including one by the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, and in Madison artists and business owners created murals on State Street buildings where vandals earlier in the week defaced walls and broke windows, in effect making something beautiful out of ugliness.

Gov. Tony Evers said Wednesday that people in Wisconsin and throughout the country are making their voices heard.

"A lot of the people that are out there exercising their First Amendment rights are all colors and races," Evers said in an interview with Journal Sentinel reporters and editors.

More than 300 people participated in a march organized by youths at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, a diverse and inter-generational crowd who called for justice for victims of police violence. 

"Our religion tells us that if one part of your body’s in pain then the whole body’s in pain," said organizer Sumaya Abdi, 19. "So if our black brothers and sisters are in pain, we’re in pain, too."

The march, which began and ended at the Islamic Society on Milwaukee's south side, met some resistance along the way, including one person who yelled from a lawn chair, "Because of you we have curfew.”

But most spectators were supportive, passing out water, raising fists in the air and honking horns. 

"Our religion centers around the belief that we are all created equal in the eyes of God," said march organizer Dana Sharqawi, 18. "So today we’re here to prove that; that we’re all equal, we’re one community."

Across town, a couple hundred protesters gathered in Milwaukee’s Gordon Park Wednesday afternoon for a peaceful march. The group included the family of Dontre Hamilton, who was shot to death by a Milwaukee police officer in 2014. 

“Y’all have the power. Y’all lives on the line,” said Maria Hamilton, Dontre’s mother. “Your children’s lives will be different for what you’re doing right now.”

Nate Hamilton, Dontre’s brother, led the group in a call-and-response and told them “this right now is important because six years ago, I was saying 'right now.' I wanted justice right then.”

Marchers carried signs that read “If you aren’t livid, you aren’t listening!” “Please don’t shoot” and “Silence is compliance.”

In downtown Madison, protest was expressed more colorfully. 

Nearly every business along State Street has a mural or words carrying messages of hope and unity painted on windows which have been boarded shut in response to looting around the city in the past few days. 

Some businesses have been painted with the words “black lives matter” while others feature peace signs, calls for justice and the names of black people killed by police. The boarded windows of Parthenon Gyros simply display a famous quote from Gandhi: Be the change you wish to see in the world.

Anita Sattel, who runs B-Side Records on State Street with her husband, said she painted music notes on her boarded windows to symbolize unity within the community.

“We can’t take the boards down yet because there is still stuff going on,” Sattel said. “So why not bring beauty through art to the community with the message that we are all connected and that we are all supporting one another.”

Just down the street at J-Petal & Poke, which serves Japanese crepes and poke bowls, local artist Mike Lroy was commissioned to “have fun” and spread a message of his choosing. Lroy created an abstract piece of swirling colors.

Art is important, Lroy said, especially in troubled times because it's a way to “beautify the city from within.”

Meanwhile, six members of the Milwaukee Common Council questioned whether citizens believe Police Chief Alfonso Morales has been handling the unrest effectively, according to a statement released Wednesday.

"Chief Morales was not elected by the people (he was appointed to the position) but the decisions he makes and the manner in which he runs the Milwaukee Police Department have a significant impact on every neighborhood, every citizen, every institution, and every business in the City of Milwaukee," the statement says.

It goes on to say: "Milwaukee police have used tear gas, flash-bang devices and employed unique traffic and crowd control measures during these past several days."

Council members Milele Coggs, Nikiya Dodd, Chantia Lewis, Russell W. Stamper II, Ashanti Hamilton and Khalif J. Rainey noted that Morales has a performance review scheduled for later this month. They asked anyone with concerns about his leadership to contact the Fire and Police Commission.

Journal Sentinel reporters Rory Linnane, Mary Spicuzza, Genevieve Redsten, Lawrence Andrea and Alison Dirr contributed to this report.