There is bittersweet sentiment from both Madison city officials and UW-Madison students following a Saturday night filled with a boisterous crowd of more than 100,000 on State Street, chants of, 'Fuck the police' and the deployment of pepper spray to clear the largest gathering the State Street Halloween celebration has ever seen.
A statement issued by the City of Madison Police said although there were no serious injuries or property damage, the police were forced to deploy pepper spray to clear a disorderly and dangerous crowd for the fourth year in a row.
'When we spend approximately $350,000, when 447 people are arrested, when detox is filled, we can't characterize this as a successful event,' Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said.
However, Ald. Mike Verveer, whose district encompasses the State Street area, said the event went well given the attendance rate.
'Police estimated that the Halloween crowd was the largest in modern history of this almost 30-year-old event,' he said.
City of Madison Police said they effectively executed their plan on Friday night.
'State Street mirrored a typical Friday night. There were no reports of major disturbances as the crowd was lawful and ended peacefully,' Madison Police public information officer Mike Hanson said.
Field commanders reported a crowd of 25,000 and said most officers wrapped up their shifts around 3 a.m.
UW-Madison junior Kyle Miller was on State Street both Friday and Saturday nights. He said Friday and early Saturday had a very tame aura.
'It seemed like just as many police as people in costumes,' he said. 'Around midnight, there were a few people starting chants. I didn't expect anything to happen.'
Madison Police Chief Noble Wray said Friday night he expected Saturday to be similar to Friday's atmosphere, only with more people.
Saturday's festivities started out much like Wray expected, with a law-abiding crowd of approximately 50,000 at 11 p.m.
The non-contentious crowd of 50,000 at 11 p.m. grew to a condensed and rowdy din of 100,000 revelers in just one hour.
The mass of people concentrated around the 500 block of State Street, and partygoers began jumping in the street chanting, 'Ol??,' 'U.S.A.' and 'Fuck the police.'
At approximately 1 a.m., police on foot and horseback began to move through the crowd attempting to stop some of the rambunctious behavior.
As soon as the police passed through a particular section of the crowd, the area was immediately refilled with jumping and chanting partygoers who antagonized the police with shouts urging people to start a riot and asking when they would get to be pepper sprayed.
During this time, there was an announcement over the loudspeaker system asking people to leave the area in an orderly fashion.
When the crowd did not disperse and a smoke bomb went off near State Street Brats, 603 State St., police divided partygoers into two groups, clearing the 500 block.
The loudspeaker announcement then changed from a general request to an order for dispersion.
'The Madison Police Department hereby declares this event on State Street to be an unlawful assembly,' the announcement said. 'In the name of the people of the State of Wisconsin we command all those assembled on State Street to immediately disperse. If you do not leave the area, you will be subject to arrest.'
The assembled crowd did not respond to the announcement, upon which Madison Police donned riot gear and released pepper spray into the throng.
Partygoers scattered into side alleys, some rolling on the ground rubbing their eyes or vomiting due to inhalation before leaving the State Street area.
UW-Madison senior Sumit Bagga said he was not celebrating Halloween and was sprayed as he walked across the street.
'I was studying at home,' he said. 'I feel like there wouldn't be a riot if cops didn't do shit like this.'
Although the city met some of its goals for this year's festivities, Madison city officials are not happy with the outcome of this year's Halloween celebration.
Cieslewicz and Wray both said they want to take a hard look at whether Halloween on State Street should continue.
The Halloween committee will meet Nov. 15 to discuss the future of the celebration's event in Madison.
