Two protests went head-to-head at Milwaukee City Hall Friday, with the Police Association calling for higher pay and even National Guard support, while community group BLOC says crime is down and officers shouldn't get raises until service improves.
Inside City Hall, two groups with very different views on policing stood face-to-face: the Milwaukee Police Association and BLOC, Black Leaders Organizing Communities.
Watch: Dueling protests clash at Milwaukee City Hall over police pay raises and community funding
The Milwaukee Police Association circled the mayor's locked office, signs in hand, demanding pay raises.
"We're number 5 in the nation for line of duty deaths in the country, and he doesn't see that we are worth 12.75. But he can give himself a 15% raise — that's not fair. Where did that money come from?" said Alexander Ayala of the Police Association.
But community organizers with BLOC pushed back, chanting from the ground floor of City Hall.
"We don't think that Milwaukee Police Department should have a bloated budget when our communities are underfunded and underinvested in," said Angela Lang of BLOC Organization.
They argued crime is already trending down and said no pay raise should be on the table until police services improve.
"I think it's bold to be asking for more money. If I don't do my job correctly, I can't ask for more money," Lang said.
Ayala, with the Police Association, and resident Shawn Moore engaged in a civil debate during the heat of protest, both agreeing that more talks need to be had.
"You wanna have a conversation of taking more tax dollars — that means we have to pay for it! My worry is where's it gonna come from? What services are gonna be cut?" Moore said.
"Where did his 15% raise come from? The alderman got a raise, Chief Norman got a raise. He settled contracts with the union, he settled contracts with the fire. Why does he hate his police officers so much?" Ayala said.
The protests stayed peaceful, but emotions ran high. BLOC also rejected the National Guard, while the police association pressed city leaders to take action. One thing's for sure — the debate over pay and policing in the city is far from over.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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