A student displaying a pro-Israel sign told police she was approached at UW-Madison’s Library Mall by a man with a knife who told her, “Jews shouldn’t be on campus.”
That’s according to the UW-Madison Police Department, which reported on May 8 that is “investigating three separate reports of violence that occurred on Library Mall.”
On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, “a student who was displaying a pro-Israel sign reported that an unknown man with a knife visibly attached to his waistband approached her on Library Mall and stated to her, ‘Jews shouldn’t be on campus,'” UW-Madison police wrote about the first incident.
“The incident was reported to UWPD today (May 8) and is being investigated as a possible hate crime,” police wrote.
Meanwhile, UW-Madison administrators are still trying to negotiate with the encampment occupiers. “It remains campus administration’s goal to end the illegal encampment. Some have taken the administration proposal shared on social media as indicating plans for imminent police action,” the university wrote on May 8.. “That draft proposal was shared yesterday in the course of discussions with student protest leaders. While no such police action will occur at 4 p.m. today, it remains an urgent campus priority to end the encampment, which is illegal, a violation of student and registered student organization conduct rules, and an increasing safety concern.”
UW-Madison police also reported the following two Library Mall incidents:
• On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, at approximately 3:50 p.m., a student “reported that he was approached by an unknown male on Library Mall who threatened to kill him if he didn’t put away his phone. The victim walked away and reported the suspect followed him for a short time and continued to threaten him verbally,” police wrote.
• On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, at approximately 4:20 a.m., an assault “involving the use of a large stick occurred between two individuals on Library Mall. As UWPD officers arrived, the fight had stopped and there was no longer a disturbance. UWPD continued monitoring the area for safety,” the police wrote.
The escalating tension at UW-Madison comes as UW-Milwaukee officials take no action in regards to an encampment on their campus despite concerns raised by Jewish leaders and pro Oct. 7 propaganda inside the encampment. Read about that here.
