Kenosha unrest

Kenosha unrest
Part of the United States racial unrest
and reactions to the shooting of Jacob Blake
Justice for Jacob Blake Poster
DateAugust 23 – September 1, 2020
(1 week and 2 days)
Location
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Caused byShooting of Jacob Blake
Methods
StatusState of emergency August 25 – September 2, 2020; and January 4–11, 2021[1]
Aftermath
Death(s)Two protesters shot and killed
Injuries
  • 1 protester shot and hospitalized
  • 1 police officer hospitalized
  • 1 firefighter hospitalized[2]
Charged
  • 1 individual for two counts of first degree murder[3] (found not guilty)
  • 2 individuals initially for illegal firearms possession[4]
  • 250+ arrests in 2020[5]
  • 59 more charged in 2021 (Mar)[5]
Property damage$2 million to city-owned property[6]
Up to $50 million (Kenosha Area Business Alliance estimate)[7]

In the aftermath of the August 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake, protests, riots, and civil unrest occurred in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and around the United States as part of the larger United States racial unrest and Black Lives Matter movements.[8] In addition to street protests, marches, and demonstrations, the shooting also led to the 2020 American athlete boycotts.

The demonstrations were marked by daily peaceful protesting followed by confrontations with law enforcement, rioting, and arson at night. A state of emergency was declared on August 23, and the National Guard was activated the next day. Further confrontations arose when armed militia members, whom Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth described as "like a group of vigilantes", arrived with the express intent to protect businesses in the city.[9][10][11][12]

On August 25, two protesters were fatally shot and a third was injured by Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Antioch, Illinois. At his November 2021 trial, he argued that he had acted in self-defense and was found not guilty of murder and other charges.[13]

  1. ^ "Kenosha: National Guard Departs; Fence Removed; Peaceful Protest Held". WGTD. January 11, 2021. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  2. ^ Householder, Mike (August 26, 2020). "2 people shot to death during protest over Kenosha shooting". AP. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  3. ^ "Kyle Rittenhouse, 17-year-old charged in Kenosha protest shootings, considered himself militia, social media posts show". USA Today. August 26, 2020. Archived from the original on August 26, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference firearms violation was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference thvella was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference prop2m was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference allest was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "In photos: Black Lives Matter organization rallies in Kenosha". Kenosha News. August 24, 2020. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  9. ^ Mathers, Matt (August 27, 2020). "What we know about Kyle Rittenhouse, the teenager accused of killing two people at Jacob Blake protest". The Independent. London. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  10. ^ Willis, Haley; Xiao, Muyi; Triebert, Christiaan; Koettl, Christoph; Cooper, Stella; Botti, David; Ismay, John; Tiefenthäler, Ainara (August 27, 2020). "Tracking the Suspect in the Fatal Kenosha Shootings". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 27, 2020. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  11. ^ "Militias, Armed Vigilantes Encouraged Online to Head to Kenosha Before Deadly Attack". August 27, 2020. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  12. ^ Baker, Mike; Bosman, Julie; Oppel, Richard A. Jr. (September 1, 2020). "As Guns Get Drawn at Protest Sites, Demonstrators Fear a Volatile New Phase". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 10, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2020.
  13. ^ "Jury finds Rittenhouse not guilty in Kenosha shootings". AP NEWS. November 19, 2021. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.