Protesters filled the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin for the second night in a row after police shot an unarmed black man, Jacob Blake.
For the second night in a row, the protesters filled the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin after police shot Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man.
- Protesters flooded the streets of Kenosha after police shot Jacob Blake, an unarmed black man.
- Shortly after the police shot an unarmed black man, Jacob Blake was airlifted to hospital.
- The victim’s father told the Chicago Sun-Times that Blake was now paralyzed from the waist.
While Blake was in critical condition in hospital, protests demanding justice erupted in his hometown of Kenosha and beyond.
They also erupted in Minneapolis, Portland and New York, setting all the focal points of this summer’s ethnic justice movement first set by the assassination of George Floyd. But in addition to the peaceful protests, Kenosha faces violence and some looting, resulting in the Wisconsin National Guard being stopped to quell the unrest.
Blake’s shooting incident
The exact context of why police shot Jacob Blake is not yet known. But a video that went viral on Twitter shows a 29-year-old father being dragged out of his car by police officers.
At least half a dozen shots were fired into the empty range at Blake’s back. Her three children were watching from the back seat of the car.
Shortly after the police shot an unarmed black man, Jacob Blake was airlifted to a nearby hospital. The victim’s father told the Chicago Sun-Times that Blake was now paralyzed from the waist down, but it was unclear if it was permanent.
Protesters turn violent
Protesters flooded the streets of Kenosha, 30 miles south of Milwaukee. On Monday night, hundreds of protesters broke the curfew order and rioted against national guards. Authorities in riot gear stormed a rally on Friday, removing hundreds of protesters by truck.
Officers responded by throwing smoke bombs and flash-bang grenades into the crowd. The vehicle caught fire after a rioter threw explosives at a garbage truck.
Protests in Kenosha escalated into violence on Monday night as they melted Tuesday morning. A group of rioters set fire to several local businesses, some of which left with stolen goods.
At the community correction building, there was a fire while there was plenty of graffiti on the sides of vehicles and street lights. Authorities arrested at least two people in connection with the local library fire.
The General answer
Many top leaders have expressed outrage over Blake’s shooting while condemning the violence of protesters.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden criticised the incident and tweeted that “the country is re-emerging with grief and anger that another black American has been victimized by excessive force.”
Meanwhile, Wisconsin governor Tony Evers has called for an emergency session of the state legislature to implement police reform and accountability. The Democratic governor said it was self-evident that change was needed in the police.
“This movement has touched every corner of Wisconsin. Apparently, people across our state – from the streets of my hometown of Plymouth to the streets of Milwaukee – I do not need to call a special session – are demanding that elected leaders take action.”
