Rioters have faced off with police and set fire to businesses and city property after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI.
After 29-year-old Jacob Blake was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, rioters took to the streets to set fire to several buildings and vehicles.
An 8 p.m. curfew was set in Kenosha but protestors disobeyed and faced off with police outside the Kenosha County Courthouse. Milwaukee’s WISN reported that rioters threw water bottles and set off fireworks, as well as set fire to two city trucks, businesses and other institutional buildings.
Law enforcement responded with flash bangs, tear gas and rubber bullets, the station added. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers deployed the National Guard to help protect infrastructure and “ensure Kenoshians are able to assemble safely.”
Kenosha police had shot Blake at close range Sunday night as he attempted to enter a vehicle, in which were his 3-, 5- and 8-year-old sons. Blake had been attempting to break up a fight between two women before police arrived, his family’s attorney said, and a dispatcher said in a police call that Blake “[wasn’t] supposed to be there.”
Following the shooting, Blake was flown to a Milwaukee hospital and was last reported to be in intensive care. Two officers are currently on administrative leave and the local police union has asked the public to refrain from making judgments about the incident until a state investigation is complete.
— Kenosha Police Dept. (@KenoshaPolice) August 24, 2020
Protests in Kenosha began on Aug. 23 following the shooting. Rioters also lit dumpsters on fire, smashed windows and looted in Madison Monday night and early Tuesday. Protestors marched in several other major cities, including New York and Minneapolis.
As Americans, we should stand for justice when tragic events like this occur, and we need to rely on the laws and values that keep our nation strong. Protestors who are not peaceful and choose to riot and vandalize are damaging the integrity of these laws.
Instead of tearing them down, we must continue to build up our communities and rely on peace and understanding in order to preserve our great nation.