Pro-police signs briefly cover protest graffiti on plywood downtown

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    Passersby remove pro-police signs on the Capitol Square Thursday. Photo by Mackenzie Krumme.

    Mackenzie Krumme contributed to this report.

    A group of about eight white people covered graffiti on plywood with “We Support Our Madison Police” signs Thursday afternoon, witnesses said, but the signs were taken down by others in relatively short order.

    Plywood has been covering storefront windows downtown for more than a month to protect against damage during protests that have been ongoing since the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

    Witnesses said those hanging the signs physically impeded, pushed and shouted at those who were attempting to take the signs down.

    “(One of those hanging signs) was screaming at me as this was happening,” said one witness, who requested anonymity. “He was trying to intimidate me into stopping. But I told him that I wasn’t afraid.”

    A witness named one of those hanging signs as a prominent local conservative but Madison365 has not independently confirmed that person’s involvement.

    Other witnesses said those putting up the signs said they were covering up vulgarities; however, after the signs were down, no vulgar words could be seen were the signs had been. The slogans covered included “No justice no peace” and “Don’t be racist,” along with the name of George Floyd.