Pubdate: Fri, 29 Oct 2004
Source: Wisconsin State Journal (WI)
Page: B1
Copyright: 2004 Madison Newspapers, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wisconsinstatejournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/506
Author: Lisa Schuetz Wisconsin State Journal
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/people/Ben+Masel

COPS HOPE KERRY CROWD IS PREVIEW

They'd Like Halloween Revelers to Be As Well Behaved for Police.

If State Street crowds this weekend behave as politely as the 
armpit-to-chest throng did on West Washington Avenue on Thursday, Madison 
police will be thrilled.

"Generally these types of events tend to draw people who are 
issue-oriented," said acting Madison Assistant Police Chief Luis Yudice of 
the largely incident-free rally for Sen. John Kerry. "They don't come out 
to engage in any kind of disorderly conduct."

The 115 Madison officers on duty largely cleared pathways, protected 
barriers and ensured crowd safety. A few escorted Kerry's motorcade from 
the Dane County Airport.

No one was arrested, Yudice said, except Madison's ubiquitous marijuana and 
hemp advocate, Ben Masel.

Masel said he was stopped at the entrance to the rally by a union member 
working security who told him he couldn't bring in his sign, which read, 
"Grow Hemp, Save Farms" on one side and "1 Acre of Hemp = 20 Barrels of 
Oil" on the other.

He walked through anyway, Masel said. Then he was put in a chokehold and 
wrestled to the ground by two other men wearing union shirts and "acting 
like Republicans."

He was cited for disorderly conduct.

Yudice said that since the event was ticketed, organizers could decide who 
could come inside the gates.

A pro-Bush UW-Madison student group outside the gates wearing giant pink 
flip-flops and chanting "four more years" were asked only to stop using a 
megaphone. They didn't have a permit to use one, Sgt. Dave McCaw said.

"We had discussed early on that whoever it was ... could express their 
political views, and that included those against Kerry," Yudice said.

Madison Fire Department paramedics were also on hand to deal with the 12 or 
so minor medical incidents, Assistant Chief Carl Saxe said.

Kerry's motorcade left the area at about 3 p.m. By 4 p.m., the barricades 
that lined the street since Wednesday had been removed, Yudice said.

Janet Piraino, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz's chief of staff, said the Kerry 
campaign would be billed for costs incurred by the 60 Madison police 
working overtime and any other related city expenses.

Costs wouldn't be available for a few days, Yudice said.

Ald. Mike Verveer, 4th District, said he was proud of the police for their 
great attitudes despite the prospect of a long Halloween weekend ahead.

"I'm worried that they'll be fatigued for this weekend, but only slightly 
because this is so exciting," Verveer said. 
- ---
MAP posted-by: Richard Lake