‘We will not stop’: Social justice protesters take to streets in ‘Marathon March’

October 10, 2020 4:18 PM

Madalyn O'Neill,

Posted: October 10, 2020 4:18 PM

Updated: October 11, 2020 9:41 AM

by Madalyn O'Neill

MADISON, Wis. – After months of protesters taking to the streets calling for actions such as defunding police and funding resources for communities, marchers are going a step further.

Starting at the Capitol, a group met ahead of a Marathon March, with a planned route of about 26.2 miles through the city. They began marching down State St. around 11 a.m. Saturday.

“It’s a challenge, but we’re ready,” Adrian, a march organizer, said.

Organizers from Black Umbrella Global, who agreed to speak with News 3 Now using first names or aliases only, said the goal was to reach more people and make their message hard to ignore.

“We’ll be out here all day long,” Tyler, a fellow organizer, said.

“Community is the biggest thing we’ve got here, and we really rely on each other,” Adrian said. “That’s what we’re using to really drive us.”

Organizers said building up their community is what it’s all about.

“It’s to shine a light on injustice still prevalent in society,” said Shy, a another organizer. “Shine a light on the demands we have.”

Those demands include community control of police, firing Matt Kenny, the Madison police officer who killed Tony Robinson, and funding rehab and youth programs. Organizers also called for money to be redirected from policing to community resources.

“In communities of color, we experience racial inequalities,” Shy said. “We experience just all types of inequality throughout our community and in schools, in the services provided to us after we are out of school — just everything all around the board.”

A group at the Capitol is getting ready to start their Marathon March – a 26.2 mile route through city streets as they demand things like community funding for youth and rehabilitation programs, as well as community control over police. @WISCTV_News3 pic.twitter.com/XaHQb4rmqY

— Madalyn O’Neill (@news3madalyn) October 10, 2020

Marchers said they planned to head through affluent neighborhoods and by area leaders’ homes, going as far as it takes to deliver their message loud and clear.

“Even if you don’t like it, you need to learn why we’re here. Respect why we’re here,” said an organizer going by the name Radical. “We’re not going to go anywhere.”

“We will not stop until the day that we see freedom,” Shy said.

Organizers weren’t sure how long the march would take, but expected it would go until sundown.