Kenosha unrest

Kenosha riot
Part of the Black Lives Matter movement, Reactions to the shooting of Jacob Blake
Date	August 23 – September 1, 2020
Location	Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S.
Caused by	Shooting of Jacob Blake
Methods	Peaceful protesting, tear gas, pepper spray, baton rounds, rioting, vandalism, looting, arson, counter-protest vigilante action and gunfire
Status	Ongoing
Casualties
Death(s)	2 protesters
Injuries	1 protester shot and hospitalized, 1 police officer hospitalized, 1 firefighter hospitalized [1]
Charged	1 counter-protester for two counts of first degree murder
State of emergency declared effective on August 23

In August 2020, in the aftermath of the Jacob Blake shooting, protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin, United States and elsewhere occurred as part of the larger Black Lives Matter movement^[2] and reactions to other high-profile police killings of unarmed Black people in 2020.

Protests

After police shot Jacob Blake, many people protested in Kenosha. It was not wholly a peaceful protest. Some people broke into shops and stole the things inside. Some shops were burned down.^[3] Armed civilian counter-protesters also came, some of them from other states. They said they wanted to protect businesses.

Responses

On August 24, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers activated the Wisconsin National Guard to protect fire fighters and critical infrastructure in Kenosha.^[4]

On August 25, one of the civilian volunteers^[5][6] shot three people, two of whom were later pronounced dead.^[7] The shooter was a 17 year old named Kyle Rittenhouse. Rittenhouse later walked towards police vehicles with his hands up and still armed with a semi-automatic rifle, but the police vehicles drove past him.^{[8][9][10][11]} Both the men he killed, Anthon Huber, 26, and Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, were white. Many conservatives thought Rittenhouse did not deserve to go to prison, and an online fund for his $2 million bail was filled.^[3]

Trial

Kyle Rittenhouse's trial is scheduled to start on November 1. He is charged with homicide: first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree intentional homicide and attempted first-degree intentional homicide. He is also charged with carrying a weapon even though he was under 18 years old, which is illegal in that state. The largest punishment he could get is life in prison.^[3]

References

1. Householder, Mike (26 August 2020). "2 people shot to death during protest over Kenosha shooting". AP. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
2. "IN PHOTOS: Black Lives Matter organization rallies in Kenosha". Kenosha News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
3. Julie Bosman (October 28, 2021). "What to Know About the Trial of Kyle Rittenhouse". Retrieved October 28, 2021.
4. "National Guard called to Kenosha, Wis., after police shoot Black man". Los Angeles Times. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on August 25, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
5. "Kenosha Shooting: Video Shows Suspected Gunman Kyle Rittenhouse Being Allowed To Leave Scene". 2020-08-26. Retrieved 2020-08-27. With blue gloved hands in the air and the gun around his chest, the brigade member who was thanked at the start of the night was given safe passage past police.
6. Willis, Haley; Xiao, Muyi; Triebert, Christiaan; Koettl, Christoph; Cooper, Stella; Botti, David; Ismay, John; Tiefenthäler, Ainara (2020-08-27). "Tracking the Suspect in the Fatal Kenosha Shootings". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-27. About 15 minutes before the first shooting, police officers drive past Mr. Rittenhouse, and the other armed civilians who claim to be protecting the dealership, and offer water out of appreciation. Mr. Rittenhouse walks up to a police vehicle carrying his rifle and talks with the officers.
7. Wallace, Danielle (August 26, 2020). "Kenosha violence: Suspect, 17, arrested in deadly shooting amid Jacob Blake unrest, Illinois police say". Fox News. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
8. Chris, Tye (26 August 2020). "Kenosha Shooting: Video Shows Suspected Gunman Kyle Rittenhouse Being Allowed To Leave Scene". CBS Chicago. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
9. Lourgos, Stacy St Clair, Christy Gutowski, Robert McCoppin, Angie Leventis. "What we know so far about Kyle Rittenhouse, accused vigilante in Kenosha shooting". chicagotribune.com. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
10. "What we know about Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager accused of killing two people at Jacob Blake protest". www.independent.co.uk. 27 August 2020. Retrieved 2020-08-27.
11. Willis, Haley; Xiao, Muyi; Triebert, Christiaan; Koettl, Christoph; Cooper, Stella; Botti, David; Ismay, John; Tiefenthäler, Ainara (2020-08-27). "Tracking the Suspect in the Fatal Kenosha Shootings". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-08-27.