MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – One Madison police officer was hurt and another was taken to the hospital after trying to break up a fight on State Street following a busy weekend of events.
The Mifflin Street Block Party brought thousands together Saturday, with crowds later migrating to State Street. Students said State Street had more people than usual, with lines around buildings and the roadway filled with people dressed in Badger gear.
“It was just another level of chaos that I've never seen before,†said Jen Nguyen, a senior at UW-Madison who attended the block party and was on State Street later in the day.
Nguyen said the crowds appeared to move between locations.
“It felt like it was migrating,†she said. “It was still so busy at Mifflin as well as so busy on State.â€
Madison police said they were alarmed by fights that kept breaking out on State Street.
“There was just a bunch of cops everywhere,†said Conor McGlynn, a UW-Madison freshman who was downtown. “A lot of chaos, a lot of people.â€
Police said businesses were forced to close early to try to stop people from gathering outside and fighting.
Nguyen was headed to Raising Cane's in the 500 block of State Street when she said it was closed around 9 p.m.
“It feels like they closed because of something happening because the door felt like it was barricaded,†she said. “Usually Cane's closes at like two in the morning.â€
The Raising Cane's restaurant confirmed it was shut down early but did not provide any other details about what led to the closure.
Despite the large police presence, students said they felt safe.
“When there's a large police presence and there's activity around the police cars, that's a little bit scary,†said Mallory Noel, a UW-Madison senior. “But, I wasn't scared.â€
McGlynn said the police presence was not unusual.
“There's cops here all the time. It's a college town,†he said. “You get used to it.â€
Madison police said officers in their special events team worked 14 hours Saturday, with patrol teams also working long hours.
The Madison Fire Department said downtown firehouses responded to 156 calls during their 24-hour shift Saturday, which it said was much more than usual. Forty of those calls resulted in someone being taken to the hospital.
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