The Associate Students of Madison's Saving Halloween Open Forum saw students expressing various levels of disappointment regarding Halloween Wednesday, ranging from regret Halloween had lost its meaning to a declaration of a lawsuit against the Madison Police Department.
UW-Madison sophomore Kristina Mueller, ASM Halloween Committee Chair, encouraged anecdotes from students while focusing on what did and did not work Halloween weekend.
\We've lost the actual spirit of Halloween with the riots,"" UW-Madison freshman Angie Geib said, discussing ASM-sponsored efforts to prevent riotous conduct. ""The costume contest was a good way to bring Halloween back.""
Regarding police tactics, UW-Madison senior Greg Knowles strongly disagreed with attempts to clear State Street at a specific hour.
Knowles configured the Web site http://www.MadisonRiots.com in protest of how the police handled Halloween misbehavior.
""Lights were basically the trigger,"" he said. ""Maybe have lights on the entire length of the night.""
""If a band was brought in, more out-of-towners would come, but with a different intention [than rioting],"" he added.
Scott Peitzer, a second-year UW-Madison law student, also criticized the police strategy Saturday evening of Halloween.
""I'm putting together a lawsuit against the police department,"" Peitzer said. ""Police officers went out of their way to harm students.""
Peitzer was sprayed with what he believed was tear gas despite standing ""100 feet away"" from any disorderly conduct. After ASM explained the police had only dispersed pepper spray Saturday evening, Peitzer continued to express his contempt of police actions.
""The main thing I'd like to do is prevent this mass harm to people,"" he said.
Two approaches are possible for the lawsuit, which would likely be brought to State courts. One involves battery and excessive use of force; the other addresses depravation of civil rights.
