I didn't witness any problems while I was there. I saw no fights and nothing remotely like mob violence or people being attacked randomly.
We were parked on the infield. As we walked to the car after hours of consuming the best of the fair (like dark chocolate covered cranberries drizzled with white chocolate on a stick - delicious!), we passed the grandstand. MC Hammer was performing "Too Legit to Quit."
I left the grounds about an hour before closing and went home happy, with a six-pack of cream puffs to go.
Local law enforcement agencies are investigating several incidents near State Fair Park late Thursday night.
Milwaukee police said that around 11:10 p.m., squads were sent to the area for complaints of battery, fighting and property damage to a large, unruly crowd. One officer described it as a "mob beating."
Police said the group of young people attacked fairgoers who were leaving the fair grounds. Police said that some victims were attacked while walking. They said others were pulled out of cars and off of motorcycles before being beaten.
Police said at least seven people were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police said the incidents happened in various areas near the fair grounds, including near the intersection of 84th and Adler streets.
The Milwaukee Police Department, West Allis Police Department and Milwaukee County Sheriff Department all responded to the area.
Milwaukee police said nobody was in custody early Friday morning. They said they are working to identify suspects.
Witnesses tell Newsradio 620 WTMJ and TODAY'S TMJ4 of a mob of young people attacking innocent fair-goers at the end of the opening night of State Fair, with some callers claiming a racially-charged scene.
One witness described a mob of 20 to 30 young black men beating white people, including him, as they left State Fair Thursday night.
"It looked like they were just going after white guys, white people," said Norb Roffers of Wind Lake in an interview with Newsradio 620 WTMJ. He left the State Fair Entrance near the corner of South 84th Street and West Schlinger Avenue in West Allis.
"They were attacking everybody for no reason whatsoever."
...TODAY'S TMJ4 video shows West Allis police handcuffing at least one person, but they won't say how many people they took into custody.
Milwaukee Police said that their officers were sent to State Fair Park for "complaints of battery, fighting and property damage due to a large, unruly crowd."
A police sergeant told TODAY'S TMJ4's Melissa McCrady that the number of calls describing injuries are still coming in, so they could not give an accurate number of people who were injured.
That sergeant explained that some injuries were serious, and local hospitals were attending to the injured.
Milwaukee Police said they had no one in custody.
One woman told police that she was sitting in her car with a window down when some teenagers reached through her window and started attacking her.
"I think once we get all the info in it'll be just like that, like what happened in Riverwest," said the police sergeant.
...[Norb Roffers of Wind Lake] described his emotions and reactions to the attacks outside the park.
"I turned around and looked, there was this black kid standing there laughing, thinking it's funny. My wife's like, 'Let's get out of here.' It's one of those things, you don't expect it. Your reaction to it is, first of all, quite surprised, then you get so angry, it's like, 'What in the hell's going on there? Why are these guys acting like such hoodlums? What are they picking on anybody for?' We were just like cattle being herded out of the park, and they were picking and choosing who they wanted to beat on."
He said his injuries were limited to a headache.
Roffers said the attack wouldn't stop him from attending the State Fair.
"We will be going back," said Roffers.
"It's a family event for us. We get together with our family and we do stuff at the park to enjoy the fair. My biggest concern is that the State Fair Park Police and West Allis get their heads out of their butts and figure out how to do some security over there. This isn't the first year State Fair has been going on. They should know what the heck they've got to do and where they've got to have people in place by now."
But according to Roffers, they did not have enough people there to handle the crowds, and he claims that the main stage acts - MC Hammer, Young MC and Tone Loc, were the draw for a crowd he claimed was there.
"I think the headliner they had last night is what drew the type of crowd they had last night. I've never been at that fair where they had so many African-American people. There's never usually that many of them, at that park, for whatever reason that I can figure."
..."There was this terror going on when you leave the place, you just wonder. Luckily, all the violence that was happening stayed right close by the park entrance. As we got a block away from the park, that's when the cops started showing up."
He said the lack of police and security presence will bring about his complaint up the various channels of State Fair and local police.
"They should be able to provide safety and traffic control," said Roffers. "I've never worried about it before."
He said he would give a written complaint to the State Fair and put in a call to West Allis Police, but that's not all.
"I will be contacting the State Fair Park Board and I'm going to chew on their butts a little bit about what happened."
It wasn't the way that we wanted State Fair to kick off this year. Hundreds of people rampaged through the local neighborhoods at about 11:00 p.m. last night. Milwaukee police say it all started around closing time in the parking lot.
Police were called out to State Fair Park for complaints of battery, fighting, and property damage from a large unruly crowd. According to police, starting at the fairgrounds, the group ran down 84th St. then continued down to 60th and Main St.
Some reports say the group charged at cars leaving the fair, smashed in car and home windows, and fighting/attacking people along the way.
Police say people were punched in the face by the group. A Muskego woman required stitches and another woman will need surgery. As of now, four victims have come forward so far.
We've gotten several emails from witnesses at the scene saying the mob could have started at the Midway inside the park. Multiple fights broke out and a little boy was thrown to the ground.
Multiple fights broke out and a little boy was even thrown to the ground.
Police continue to investigate what happened late last night. According to police, nobody is in custody and they are working to identify the suspects involved. They tell FOX6 that if or once the suspects are found, they could face at least two felony charges -- including child abuse.
That's horrible!
I experienced nothing threatening on the fairgrounds last night (other than the deep fried butter).
I saw people of all races having a good time. At no point did I see large groups of young people roaming the grounds. I witnessed nothing intimidating or frightening.
I had a very pleasant experience.
It's very disturbing to think that my visit to the fair could have ended with a beating and a trip to the hospital if I had left just a bit later and been in the wrong place.
There is absolutely no excuse for this mob violence, none whatsoever.
I'm afraid that a much larger law enforcement presence is necessary to maintain order.
Sadly, it appears that there is a mob of conscienceless young people, sociopaths, in the Milwaukee area bent on behaving violently and terrorizing innocent people.
We can't let them hold our state fair hostage.
We can't let the terrorists win. ___________________
Gov. Scott Walker has ordered the Wisconsin State Patrol to provide additional law enforcement help at the Wisconsin State Fair after several incidents involving rampaging youths broke out on the fairgrounds and on the streets outside Thursday night.
Cullen Werwie, Walker's spokesman, said the governor made the decision after reviewing the events from Thursday night, in which at least 24 people were arrested.
"We will continue to evaluate the situation and make any adjustments necessary to ensure a successful and safe event. We will be doing everything in our power to ensure that parents feel that it is safe to bring their children to the world's best fair," Werwie said in a statement.
Wisconsin State Fair officials reported a normal, violence-free evening Friday, thanks in part to new rules put in place to keep unattended teens away and a beefed-up presence of uniformed law enforcement officers.
"It really went well," Patrice Harris, the fair's communication manager, said Saturday.
At least 31 people were arrested and at least 11 people were injured Thursday, during the fair's opening night.
The trouble Thursday began around 7 p.m. when fights erupted among black youths in the Midway area and spread into neighboring streets around the 11 p.m. closing time.
As a result, new rules were implemented that require all people under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian over the age of 21 in order to be admitted to the fairgrounds after 5 p.m.
In addition, Gov. Scott Walker ordered the State Police to help keep order. Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn also promised additional police protection at the fair and other weekend activities around the city.
"Fairgoers were coming into the park thanking us for the policies," Harris said. "The extra security really assured people of their safety."
Harris said she did not know if the new policies, or fear that Thursday's violence might be repeated, suppressed attendance.
For decades, Jerry Lewis has played the key role in the Muscular Dystrophy Association's annual telethon, helping to raise more than $1 billion. Now the two sides are parting ways, but no one is explaining why.
But the 85-year-old comedian told reporters last week that he plans to hold a press conference the day after this year's telethon to talk about what he thinks is important. When pressed by a reporter about his role with the telethon, Lewis said: "It's none of your business."
The Tucson, Ariz.-based association announced this week that that the comedian was no longer its national chairman and he would not appear on the telethon this year.
Association spokesman Jim Brown declined to say what prompted the decision. And Lewis publicist Candi Cazau of Las Vegas also declined comment, telling The Associated Press Thursday that comedian was traveling outside his home state of Nevada.
In May, Lewis said in a statement issued through the association that he would make his final appearance on the telethon this year and sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" during a six-hour primetime broadcast scheduled for Sept. 4.
But during a session with reporters last week at a Television Critics Association press tour to promote an upcoming TV documentary, "Method to the Madness of Jerry Lewis," Lewis hinted that his involvement in raising money for muscular dystrophy research wasn't finished.
"Who told you that?" Lewis asked a reporter who asked him how he felt about this year being his last telethon. "I never read it."
"Do you remember when the New York Times printed, `Dewey wins'? I rest my case, pal," Lewis said. "Anything you read, read it twice."
...Lewis later said he would hold a press conference Sept. 5 to clarify his plans.
"I will have plenty to say about what I think is important. And that's the future, not the past," he said.
Very strange.
A press conference the day after the telethon?
Why no explanation regarding Lewis and this year's telethon? Why wait to explain what's behind Lewis' departure as national chairman of MDA?
QUESTION: Is there anything you can tell us about the bus tour the President plans to take -- where he’s going and why?
JAY CARNEY: Well, I can tell you that it will be from August 15th through the 17th, and that it will be through the Midwest. Further details will be forthcoming later. That’s all I have for you now.
QUESTION: But in terms of the --
CARNEY: I mean, he will get out -- very happily getting out in the country again, after a sustained period here in Washington. And he will -- he looks forward to talking to folks about growing the economy, creating jobs. And we’ll have more details, again, as I said, about the specifics of the trip later.
QUESTION: Did you say out of the country or out of --
CARNEY: Out in the country.
QUESTION: Oh, in the country. I’m sorry.
CARNEY: The Midwest.
QUESTION: I’m sorry.
CARNEY: Yes.
QUESTION: Is that a campaign event or --
CARNEY: Negative. It is an official event.
QUESTION: Okay, so it will be funded by taxpayers?
CARNEY: He’s the President of the United States.
Yes.
QUESTION: The bus tour -- it’s certainly a visual, but what are the tangibles?
CARNEY: Again, we’ll have more specifics about this trip itself. The air of cynicism is quite thick. The idea that the President of the United States should not venture forth into the country is ridiculous.
QUESTION: I didn't suggest that.
CARNEY: No, but you implied it in your question. And it is absolutely important for the President, whoever that person is, in the past and in the future, to get out and hear from people in different communities. And the President -- this is a trip that we’ve had on our books for quite a long time, and he very much looks forward to taking it.
Carney was extremely defensive.
He certainly has trouble maintaining his cool when he's trying to defend the indefensible. ___________________
Johnson Controls Inc. will host President Barack Obama next week at its advanced battery factory in Holland, Mich.
The factory was opened to make lithium-ion batteries for hybrid electric vehicles that were developed at the company’s battery laboratory in Glendale, as part of the company’s joint venture with the French battery developer Saft.
The visit will take place Thursday at the factory that Johnson Controls opened as part of its $598 million investment in advanced battery technology — half of which was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The $299 million stimulus grant to Johnson Controls was the biggest project funded in 2009 by the Obama administration awarded as part of a $2.4 billion investment in advanced batteries, which the administration aims to help the U.S. reduce reliance on imported oil, boost fuel economy of vehicles and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
During a briefing to reporters at the White House Thursday, Obama’s press secretary, Jay Carney said, “While at Johnson Controls, the President will highlight the key role innovative technologies will play in helping automakers achieve the historic fuel-economy standards, establishing U.S. leadership in advanced vehicle manufacturing, spurring economic growth and creating high-quality domestic jobs in cutting-edge industries across America.”
Obama will be spending quite a bit of time in the Midwest next week.
Taxpayers will be spending a lot of money, stuck with paying the expenses for Obama's campaign events.
It's a fantastic event where people from all walks of life come together and just have fun.
It's a respite from the nightmares and annoyances of daily life. For a day or a few hours, forget about the disastrous economy, sinking home values, contentious recall elections, scandals, blah, blah, blah.
Have some food on a stick and relax. Listen to the live music. Have a cream puff, a heavenly cream puff. Watch the pig races. Buy a mop or the latest, new and improved slicer and dicer.
What's not to love?
PROTESTERS.
Protesters marred today's opening ceremony. They refused to show the event the respect it deserves. Instead, some goons decided they would attack Governor Scott Walker, completely disregarding the spirit of the fair, a celebration of Wisconsin.
The politics that have split the state since winter spilled into a Wisconsin summer tradition Thursday morning during Gov. Scott Walker's meet-and-greet at the opening ceremony of the Wisconsin State Fair.
Protesters in red shirts chanted "shame" and "recall Walker" during Walker's speech while supporters of Walker cheered him on.
While Walker spoke, Lynn Ziehr, 49, of Richfield shouted "shame" right back at the protesters.
Ziehr has been attending the fair for many years, but this was her first time attending the opening ceremony. She did so this year to support Walker.
Ziehr said she didn't think the protest was appropriate for the event.
"I can't believe how much hatred is going around this state," she said.
Barb Neddo, 49, and her daughter Sarah, 19, protested at the event sporting "Recall Walker" shirts.
Sarah Neddo, a sophomore at UW-Madison, said she thinks it's important to let people know that the protests aren't going away.
"We're still here and we're still fighting," she said.
Mother and daughter both noted that, for the most part, people kept their cool at the event.
Sarah Neddo said she thinks it's great that people on both sides could express their views and then go enjoy a day at the fair.
Ziehr, too, said she planned to stay at the fair for the rest of the day, and is excited to see the draft horses.
Other speakers at the opening included Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett and West Allis Mayor Dan Devine.
From 620 WTMJ, a less sanitized account of what happened:
Amidst the fun and frivolity of the State Fair's opening day, some protesters of Republican Governor Scott Walker's policies came and showed their disapproval when he spoke at the fair.
As Walker gave the last speech of the opening ceremony at the fair on Thursday morning, protesters yelled "Shame, shame, shame!"
"You're a weasel," came from one of the protesters.
TODAY'S TMJ4's Diane Pathieu tells us that what began as 20 to 30 protesters eventually turned into twice that many people shouting during the duration of Walker's speech.
Walker claimed that the protests shouldn't stop the fun of the fair.
"Out of 800,000 people, (there's) 50-60 people, they have their right to do that," said Walker.
"Most people who come to the fair will tell you they set aside politics and business and have a good time."
But for Milwaukee Public Schools teacher Julianna Kelly, it was a chance to get up close to the governor and make her voice heard, and she's not done yet.
"Our government is supposed to be of the people, be by the people for the people," explained Kelly.
"(His policies) hurt way too many people, not just teachers, Medicare, Social Security, the elderly, children of poverty."
One of the highlights of the Fair is the Governor's Red, White and Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction. The Coliseum will bustle with the excitement and chatter of the Governor's Red, White and Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction as auctioneers chide bidders to raise the stakes and up the ante. Exhilaration and the excitement level increases as the bids go higher and higher on each Champion Market Steer, Lamb and Barrow. Proceeds from the event contribute to youth agriculture programs and scholarships.
Here's video of the disgraceful display at the State Fair today, from the MacIver Institute:
Look at these people! They're crazed. They're an embarrassment. How terribly inappropriate! Such thuggery is no way to win hearts and minds to their cause.
Kudos to the MacIver Institute for doing such a terrific job of informing the public.
President Barack Obama will take a three-day campaign-style bus tour through the American Midwest this month, as he tries to refocus attention on jobs seen as vital to his chances of winning re-election in 2012.
The president will be on the road between August 15 and August 17 "listening" to the American people about jobs and the economy, White House press secretary Jay Carney said.
Obama's approval ratings have been dented by persistently high U.S. unemployment and acrimonious negotiations in Washington to raise the country's $14.3 trillion debt ceiling.
"Listening"?
Very funny.
That reminds me of Wisconsin's former senator, Russ Feingold - the guy Wisconsinites rejected and threw out of office BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LISTEN. Feingold's listening sessions were a joke.
Obama's bus tour is a lame election stunt.
He has no intention of really listening to Americans.
I'm sure the audiences will be carefully screened to be friendly.
