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Mifflin Street Block Party

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An artist recites a slam poem for a backyard crowd.

The Mifflin Street Block Party is an annual celebration held on Mifflin Street in Madison, Wisconsin on the first Saturday of May. It is one of two large parties held in Madison, the other being the Halloween party on State Street. In 2005, the block party attracted around 20,000 participants. The party features widespread consumption of alcoholic beverages, as well as local and out-of-state musical acts playing on house porches, balconies and backyard stages.[1]

History

The Mifflin Co-op, as of 2007.
Revelers and police officers at the Mifflin Street Block Party in 2007.
Madison police load an unconscious party-goer onto a stretcher.

The Mifflin Street Block Party began in 1969 as a street protest, which involved dancing in protest against the Vietnam War. Its original date, May 3, was set to coincide with the one year anniversary of the French student rebellion. Anti-war sentiments had accelerated in Madison since the 1967 Dow Chemical protest in which thousands of students occupied, and were violently expelled from, Ingraham Hall.[2] The original event arose as part of a continuing conflict between students and police in the "Miffland" area, centered on Mifflin Street. Police refused to allow permission for the street dance and when they entered the area in response to a noise complaint, a confrontation ensued that lasted three nights and spread into the surrounding student areas.[3] Students threw stones at the police and constructed barricades to defend themselves. The police responded with tear gas and billy clubs.[4] At the end, 70 people were injured and more than 100 arrested.[3]

The event continued annually for the duration of the war, even though the traumatic effects of the nearby Sterling Hall bombing had a dampening effect on Madison anti-war efforts.[5] In an attempt to control the event, the city created "Mifflin on the Mall" in 1979 with music and concessions on State Street Mall. By 1982, however, students had once again taken to Mifflin Street.[3] Under sponsorship from the Mifflin Co-Op, the block party was often used as a community fundraiser for various political or social causes. The co-op dropped its greater involvement in 1991 after the city requested that organizers keep alcohol within fenced-in beer gardens.[3]

By 1990, police had decided to not have any officers patrol the event and removed any official presence from the party. Despite crowds in excess of 10,000 no major problems occurred until a riot in 1996. Following this event, the city and police took more control in planning. They now effectively dictate the terms of the party, spending in excess of $80,000 on policing.[4]

1996 riot

On May 6, 1996, a riot occurred, when a crowd of several thousand people threw bottles at a fire truck that had come to put out a bonfire started by the crowd to combat the cold weather. Police used riot gear to retake the block. The riots resulted in thousands of dollars of damage. The 1997 event was planned very carefully, but attracted few people due to poor weather. No major riots have occurred since 1996.[4]

Date change

The block party occurred on the first Saturday of May every year until 2005, when University of Wisconsin–Madison students lobbied to have the date changed to the last Saturday in April to avoid conflicts with finals. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz refused the date change at first, citing the additional cost and strain it would place on the city's police force. After students vowed to throw a large celebration both weekends, the mayor agreed to move the date of the block party with a promise from student leaders that they would discourage celebrations on the first week in May.[1][6] However, the mayor requested that the Associated Students of Madison pay for the additional costs of moving the date. The 2005 event was considered one of the calmest on record, with 225 arrests and 317 citations,[1][7] including the arrest of the University of Wisconsin football team's running back, Booker Stanley.[8] The block party was scheduled for Saturday, April 29 by city officials in 2006.[9] The 2007 party marked a move back to the traditional first Saturday of May and the 2008 party was scheduled for Saturday, 3 May 2008. The 2009 block party occurred on May 2nd. The 2010 block party is scheduled for May 1st.

Police control

Between 1998 and 2002, attendance ranged from several hundred to a couple thousand.[3] In 2002, however, an unexpected 20,000 people showed up for the event. That same year, a riot during Madison's Halloween festivities prompted police to begin systematically clamping down on the Mifflin event.[10] The city has consistently refused proposals by students to close the street and revive the block party under student control.[3] A Madison police lieutenant was quoted as saying, "Quite frankly, we wish this event would go away."[3] Since 2002, there have been an increased number of arrests and a decrease in attendance.[11] The majority of arrests are for alcohol-related incidents.

Police have dealt with the event by heavily enforcing a number of ordinances. This has included the banning of glass containers on Mifflin, the limiting of the number of kegs that a house party can have, and the creation of a processing center for dealing with those arrested.[3] Police are also notorious for handing out open container citations and targeting especially loud and raucous house parties. In 2004, one house received $25,000 in fines for "selling alcohol without a permit."[3] In 2005, police arrested 225 people and issued 317 citations. The cost to the city was $100,600 and they received $85,000 in fines.[3]

Drinking

Panoramic view of the Mifflin Street Block Party in 2009.

As is the city of Madison's regulation, alcohol is permitted on private property. In practice, this means one can consume alcohol anywhere except the street or sidewalk, remembering that glass bottles during the event are completely prohibited from being consumed within 'sight' of the Madison Police. One can expect to be promptly arrested and ticketed for drinking off of private property (i.e. literally having one foot on the sidewalk, and the other on one's front lawn). Urination is considered indecency and although hard to enforce, if done on the street will promptly result in MPD involvement and usually result in a ticket. There is a "no tolerance" policy during the block party and while age may not be as much of a factor, alcoholic consumption (or open containers) on public property apply to this no tolerance regulation.

Drinking begins earlier than 9:00 in the morning. For many Badgers, especially those living in the dorms, it is a tradition to begin the day with a 'shower shotgun'.[12]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Relative calm marks annual Wisconsin block party" (Newspaper article). USA Today. 2005-05-01. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
  2. ^ "Two Days In October". PBS. Retrieved 2008-04-27. {{cite news}}: |first= missing |last= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j DeFour, Matthew (2008-05-01). "Mifflin Street Block Party Still Wild at 40" (Newspaper article). Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  4. ^ a b c Costello, Megan (2005-04-28). "History of the Mifflin Street Block Party" (Newspaper article). The Badger Herald. Retrieved 2007-02-13.
  5. ^ "30 years ago, bomb shattered UW campus" (Online article). JS Online. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. 2000-08-19. Retrieved 2007-02-17. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ Bettis, Angela (2005-02-24). "Students Want Mifflin Street Block Party Date Changed" (News update). WISC-TV Channel 3000. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  7. ^ Andrus, Aubre (2005-05-02). "Date change proves successful for Mifflin Street Block Party" (Newspaper article). The Badger Herald. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  8. ^ "225 Arrests Reported At Mifflin Street Block Party" (News update). WISC-TV Channel 3000. 2005-05-02. Retrieved 2007-02-16.
  9. ^ Quitos, Heather (2006-04-12). "City gears up for April 29 block party" (Newspaper article). The Badger Herald. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
  10. ^ "40 years on Mifflin street" (pdf). madison.com. Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
  11. ^ Oliveira Jr., Pedro (2008-05-05). "Mifflin Arrests Hit All-Time High, Again" (Newspaper article). The Badger Herald. Retrieved 2008-05-06.
  12. ^ Petrie, Joseph (2005-05-11). "Mayhem in Madtown" (Online publication). The Leader. College Publisher Network. Retrieved 2007-02-17.
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