Communist Groups Led Violent Madison Protests Over Police Killing

A coalition mixing communist, socialist, and left-wing activist groups pushed nearly two weeks of protests in Madison, Wis., after a homeless man named Corey Ruiz died from a police shooting. The unrest grew into a large encampment that later turned violent with clashes against officers, street fires, and intersections blocked off. Fox News Digital uncovered these details through its own investigation.

Leading the charge were specific organizations including the Madison chapter of the openly communist Party for Socialism and Liberation, Freedom Inc., a local "social justice" nonprofit based in Madison, and the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, which follows Marxist-Leninist principles. All three publicly supported the demonstrations. Together, these groups organized rallies and kept a sprawling protest camp alive while demanding the arresting officer's arrest. They repeatedly called him a "killer cop." Freedom Inc. also stated it posted bail for dozens of protesters after their recent arrests.

This local mobilization mirrors a wider trend where communist and socialist organizations leverage confrontations with law enforcement to build movements and push broader political goals, according to national security experts. Before city crews tore down the camp on Tuesday morning, the site had grown to hold dozens of tents, four portable toilets, zones for handing out food, and displays honoring the dead. Organizers even transported a raised-fist sculpture from Minneapolis' George Floyd Square to Madison's encampment.

The trouble started after Ruiz was fatally shot on July 22. Police said officers responded to theft reports before Ruiz fled on a bicycle. Officers caught up with him later, authorities claimed Ruiz pulled a knife and hurt one officer during the struggle, leading another officer to shoot him fatally. Protesters have accused law enforcement of using excessive force. During several rallies, demonstrators drew direct parallels between this incident and the 2020 death of George Floyd while he was being restrained by Minneapolis police.

The situation in Madison exploded late Tuesday and rolled into Wednesday overnight. According to the Madison Police Department, protesters allegedly threw objects at city workers, set five street fires, and fought with officers. The violence ended only when authorities dismantled the encampment.

Police confirmed that the recent unrest led to at least 22 arrests. Officers also found a handgun in the possession of a juvenile protester who was taken into custody on separate charges.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation played a major role in driving these demonstrations. Fox News Digital has previously identified this group as a key organizer within the nationwide protest movement. This activism sits inside a wider ecosystem surrounding organizations funded by Marxist tech entrepreneur Neville Roy Singham, who currently lives in Shanghai. Earlier this year, an investigation revealed roughly $285 million flowing from Singham into a global network of nonprofits, activist groups, and media operations.

Since the shooting, the Madison chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation has used its social media accounts to mobilize supporters with inflammatory rhetoric. They repeatedly referred to the officer involved as a "killer cop." The group helped organize demonstrations, urged followers to "take the streets," and pressured elected officials through coordinated phone and email campaigns demanding the officer's arrest.

After city crews dismantled the protest encampment Tuesday morning, the Madison chapter posted an Instagram video. It showed officers clearing flowers, candles, and memorial items from the intersection where Ruiz was shot. The post then urged supporters to attend another evening demonstration outside Madison City Hall. The accompanying caption accused city officials of protecting the officer, stating: "Killer cop … is still walking free. Still on the streets. Still getting paid," while identifying the officer by name. The group concluded with the line: "You can destroy a memorial, but you cannot destroy a movement."

Hours after promoting that evening demonstration, protesters returned to the streets. Officers reported multiple arrests, street fires, and blocked intersections during that fiery night. While the activist group has repeatedly identified the officer involved and demanded his arrest, Madison police have declined to publicly identify any of the four officers in the encounter. All four remain on administrative leave while the Wisconsin Department of Justice investigates the shooting.

Another prominent organizer is Freedom Inc., a Madison-based nonprofit that advocates abolishing police, defunding law enforcement, and broad criminal justice reforms. In an Instagram post on Wednesday, Freedom Inc. claimed it had "bailed out 50 people" from the Dane County Public Safety Building following last night's arrests. They also said they had "shut down Doty Street directly in front of the jail while working to get people released." Fox News Digital was unable to independently verify that claim about bailing out 50 protesters and has reached out to the organization for comment.

IRS filings reviewed by the news outlet show Freedom Inc. reported roughly $4.9 million in revenue in 2024. This included about $1.24 million in government grants after reporting roughly $4.2 million in revenue in 2023, which included about $1.13 million in government grants.

The overlap between Freedom Inc. and the Madison chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation was evident Wednesday morning when they jointly published an Instagram post calling supporters to another protest outside the Dane County Courthouse. The poster declared, "All out for Freedom, Inc.! Don't arrest me, arrest the cops!" while the caption urged supporters to attend, declaring: "Jail killer cops! Justice for Corey Ruiz! Dare to struggle, Dare to win!" On social media, Freedom Inc. continues to amplify these messages.

Protesters took to Madison City Hall last Monday night for a massive mobilization that turned the building into a stage for their demands. They climbed walls to hang a giant banner reading "Arrest the Killer Cop" across the front facade, while others threw balloons filled with red liquid at the structure, according to local media outlet WKOW.

Freedom Inc. claimed responsibility for organizing this specific event. After city crews removed the encampment, the group accused Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway of sending armed militia to raid their memorial site. This rhetoric matched the organization's broader platform perfectly. A February Instagram post pinned to their page called to abolish police departments, defund law enforcement and ICE agencies, end deportations immediately, and close jails as well as prisons and detention centers.

The group wrote that "Police and ICE are tearing families apart, racially profiling our people, criminalizing poverty, and inflicting violence on Black, Brown, immigrant, and working-class communities." They added that communities deserve safety without surveillance and care without criminalization. These statements frame their entire strategy.

Fight Back! News also drew support from this wider network. The outlet jointly published an Instagram post with Freedom Inc. highlighting its organizing efforts at the protest encampment. That post described individuals and organizations traveling to Madison from around the country to help organize on the ground directly. It highlighted a four-day educational series and a postcard-writing campaign by Freedom Inc. demanding the officer's arrest, defunding the police, strengthening civilian oversight, and expanding community control of policing.

Fight Back! News openly states on its website that some of its writers and staff are members of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization. This group is another far-left organization that has appeared alongside the Party for Socialism and Liberation in previous Fox News Digital reporting on protest movements from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. The connections between these entities remain clear.

Freedom Inc.'s organizing also extended nationally well beyond local borders. On July 22, the group jointly published an Instagram post with the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression calling for "Justice for Corey Ruiz" and "Community Control of the Police Now!"

Meanwhile state Rep. Francesca Hong appeared at the memorial site shortly after Ruiz's death. She is running for governor and has previously called for abolishing the police entirely. Hong does not appear to be affiliated with any of these groups however.

Madison resident Tom Beck, a retiree who has lived in the city for about 12 years, said city officials allowed the encampment to become entrenched before finally dismantling it. "They should have given them maybe 48 hours and then go in there and just push it out of the way," Beck told Fox News Digital. "Instead, they let it grow." He called the situation an embarrassment for everyone involved.

Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway defended the city's response firmly. Officials first offered shelter and hotel accommodations before clearing the encampment, citing public safety concerns as the primary driver. They also pointed to the detrimental impact on nearby businesses and the surrounding neighborhood.