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Milwaukee, WI

UW-Milwaukee Protesters BAN Cops From Campus Lawn Owned By Taxpayers

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UW-Milwaukee Protesters BAN Cops From Campus Lawn Owned By Taxpayers


UW-Milwaukee’s pro-Palestinian protesters have erected a sign outside their fenced-in encampment on a prominent campus lawn that declares that police are not allowed on the state taxpayer-owned property.

They are now calling it the “Falasteen Lawn,” which means Palestine Lawn. “Free Palestine.  No cops allowed,” the sign declared on May 6.

The sign at the uw-milwaukee encampment.

And yet the inaction from city, state and campus officials continued Monday as the protesters get bolder and finals week approaches (how nice of them to create “focus hours” for student studying in between the press conference and speakers!).

First, the protesters started camping on a prominent patch of campus lawn in front of a prominent building. Then, they erected a makeshift wall around it, and placed security-vest-wearing guards at the entrances. Then, they planted MORE Palestinian flags. They’ve given it another name too: “UWM Liberated Zone.” At least one professor held a “teach-in” there.

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Uw-milwaukee
Uw-milwaukee.

Think this isn’t politicized? Politico just reported that some of President Joe Biden’s biggest donors are helping fund pro Palestinian protests across the country (it’s tempting to point out that they aren’t doing him any favors).

One group involved in the UWM Protest has referred to the Milwaukee Jewish Federation as “a morally bankrupt, unscrupulous mouthpiece of the Israeli government.”  They appear to have also renamed UWM, a major state university, the “UWM Popular University for Palestine.” What was the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s offense?

Their CEO released a statement about the encampments, saying, “As Jewish students are taunted on campus, as protesters shamelessly call for peace while chanting for intifada, as protesters harass students with visible Jewish clothing and symbols, I can no longer remain silent about what our students have been experiencing on Milwaukee’s campuses, and I can no longer accept the silence of university administrations. Students shouldn’t have to stage a sit-in or storm a chancellor’s residence to be heard.”

The statement said that “this escalation comes just weeks after a group of protesters encircled and harassed Jewish students on UWM’s campus…The Jewish community expects Milwaukee’s largest public university to be a place where Jewish students and community members are welcome and accepted.”

A pro encampment page posted a screenshot they said was from a UWM professor cancelling the remainder of classes so students can attend the protest. In the screenshot, the professor, who was not named, directs student to websites and a petition in support of the pro-Palestinian cause and refers to “the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people by the nation of Israel.” The statement makes no reference to Oct. 7.

None of this is remotely acceptable. Students pay tuition for classes; they expect them to be held. Taxpayers pay professors’ salaries. One “teach-in” at the encampment instructed students about “the struggle against U.S. imperialism in Yemen.”

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If the protesters were a group of MAGA kids or anti-abortion protesters, their tents would be removed within an hour.

Uw-milwaukee encampment
Uw-milwaukee encampment 5/6.

Now they says cops aren’t allowed. Not that it matters much. There was no sign of police at the encampment Monday, at least at that moment.

UWM’s PR office has refused to respond to questions about the inaction and why the encampment is being allowed to stand.

Uw-milwaukee encampment
Pro-palestinian encampment 5/6

“Welcome to the Milwaukee autonomous zone,” reads a sign outside the encampment.

Uw-milwaukee
Uw-milwaukee

Hey, it’s not an autonomous zone. It’s state property. And university officials have an obligation to make ALL students and faculty feel safe on campus. That includes Jewish students and faculty.

Uw-milwaukee encampment
Uw-milwaukee 5/6

As other universities, from UW-Madison to Columbia, have taken lurching steps to remove the encampments, UW-Milwaukee has done…nothing to remove theirs. That’s even though the Dean of Students, Adam Jussel, admitted in a public statement on Friday that some students “say they don’t feel safe walking past the encampment or hearing chants. Other students have said that if they speak out, they will be shouted down. And others say they just want to go to class and work and hope our campus is safe for everyone.”

Here’s why they feel intimidated. In addition to the signage, some mentioning “Jews,” there are people standing at the openings to the fenced-in area. One man was wearing a keffiyeh scarf at the entrance on Monday.

Although the scarf has complex historical meaning, it’s also been donned by a Hamas leader and a woman involved in plane hijackings, according to NPR.

To be clear, though, people can wear such scarfs on campus and protest all they want. UW-Milwaukee has a history of controversial protesters. It’s a public university and a free country. HOWEVER, no one else got to camp for days on university property, fence off a prominent piece of it, post guards, and then declare that cops aren’t welcome on state property.

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Enough. Who is going to stand up and LEAD? Or is everyone cowering in fear?

So the dean of students admits that some students don’t feel safe because of the encampment, but the university doesn’t feel compelled to act? Where is Gov. Tony Evers? Mayor Cavalier Johnson? Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman?

On May 3, Jussel wrote, “The camping restriction (which is part of state law) represents one of those limitations. This law has nothing to do with the content of the speech or the act of protesting itself. In fact, there have been more than a dozen protests on campus in recent months that did not break the law. So, the encampment must end, safely.”

And yet on May 6, it remained.





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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee stabbing near 40th and McKinley; 1 wounded, 1 arrested

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Milwaukee stabbing near 40th and McKinley; 1 wounded, 1 arrested


Milwaukee Police Department

One person was taken to the hospital after a stabbing in Milwaukee on Wednesday night, Jan. 7. 

What we know:

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According to Milwaukee police, a 26-year-old was stabbed around 7 p.m. near 40th and McKinley. 

Milwaukee police arrested a suspect on the scene.

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What you can do:

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360 or to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or P3 Tips.

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The Source: The information in this post was provided by the Milwaukee Police Department. 

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Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car

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Milwaukee man charged; officer trapped in defendant’s getaway car


A 26-year-old Milwaukee man is accused of fleeing police during an arrest attempt. An officer who was present to make the arrest ended up being trapped in the backseat of the defendant’s vehicle during an attempt to flee law enforcement. The accused is Kewane Daniels – and he faces the following criminal counts: 

  • First-degree recklessly endangering safety
  • False imprisonment
  • Operating a motor vehicle to flee or in an attempt to elude an officer
  • Second-degree recklessly endangering safety

Property taken, arrest attempt

What we know:

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According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police reported to the Comfort Suites near 118th and Silver Spring after a caller indicated that “property had been taken from her by the defendant,” the complaint says. The caller indicated location data alerted her that the property was in the hotel parking lot. Daniels also had two warrants for his arrest. 

The caller reached out to Daniels to come outside and meet her. Law enforcement were going to assist with arresting Daniels and getting the property back.

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The complaint indicates Daniels approached his car, and an officer followed and positioned himself behind an open rear door. He “drew his service weapon knowing that Daniels was reported to frequently be armed,” the complaint says. The officer ordered Daniels not to place the car in drive, but the complaint says Daniels ignored the orders and “accelerated in reverse in an attempt to flee (the officer).”

Arresting officer trapped in defendant’s vehicle

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Dig deeper:

The officer, who was now being forced to back pedal, “realized he could not keep up with the quickly reversing vehicle, and feared he may be overtaken and crushed beneath the auto. (The officer) stated that he had to jump into the open rear passenger’s seat in order to escape the possibility of being knocked down beneath the oncoming vehicle’s door and tires,” the complaint says.

The defendant quickly accelerated out of the hotel parking lot with the officer in the rear seat. The officer “continually ordered him to stop the car,” the complaint says. The officer stated, “Daniels fled at a high rate of speed near 90 mph east on W. Silver Spring Drive while losing control and mounting the curb several times,” the complaint says. During this entire incident, the officer said he “kept his service weapon aimed at Daniels while in the back seat. Due to the speeds and reckless driving, (the officer) could not exit the vehicle,” the complaint says.

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The court filing says the officer having his firearm pointed had no effect on Daniels pulling over the vehicle. Later, he put his weapon away to try and convince Daniels that he was not in danger and to pull over the vehicle. Instead, the defendant continued fleeing and driving recklessly, the complaint says.

Defendant bails, car crashes

What we know:

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Near 92nd and Birch Avenue in Milwaukee, the complaint says, “Daniels opened the driver’s door and abandoned the vehicle which was still moving at approximately 35 mph.” The officer remained trapped in the rear passenger seat of the driverless vehicle which “came to a stop when it mounted the curb, continued into a front yard, and eventually crashed into a tree,” the complaint says. It is noted that Daniels’ vehicle had the child locks engaged, so the officer was unable to exit the vehicle on his own.

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Officers in other squads quickly located Daniels. The complaint indicates the defendant was “missing footwear in extremely frigid temperatures.” His footwear was recovered in a grassy area near where he was taken into custody.

What’s next:

Online court records indicate Daniels is scheduled to make his initial appearance in Milwaukee County court on Thursday, Jan. 8. 

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The Source: Information in this post was provided by Wisconsin Circuit Court Access and the criminal complaint associated with this case.

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Milwaukee, WI

Sherman Park Grocery at risk of closing; serves Milwaukee food desert

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Sherman Park Grocery at risk of closing; serves Milwaukee food desert


A grocery store on Milwaukee’s north side needs your help, or they could close. The Sherman Park Grocery store serves one of 13 federally recognized food deserts in Milwaukee. 

What we know:

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The grocery store serves one of the most underserved areas of Milwaukee. But in order to stay open, the store owner, Moe Wince, says he needs help. 

The store is dealing with a multitude of obstacles – including paying monthly bills, increased food prices, and flood damage. 

Sherman Park Grocery Store says it’s the only Black-owned grocery store in the state and serves one of 13 food deserts in Milwaukee. 

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Food deserts are areas with low income households and poor access to grocery stores. 

Sherman Park Grocery Store

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What they’re saying:

“We can’t sustain ourselves. If things do not change, or we don’t start collaborating and getting somebody or an organization or nonprofit or philanthropy group stepping up and saying ‘Mo, this is what it looks like for us, and we want to maintain your store, we want to make sure you sustain yourselves, not just tomorrow, but long term,’” said Mo Wince, Sherman Park Grocery owner. 

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The store says their goal is to help provide healthier food options to the area. 

In an effort to keep their doors open, Sherman Park Grocery is reaching out for help to anyone – including state government, local non-profits, businesses and volunteers. 

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The Source: This post was produced by FOX6 News. 

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