A local resident claims many out-of-towners traveled to Kenosha for the purpose of rioting and burned down many black businesses as civil unrest continues following the police involved shooting of Jacob Blake, a black Kenosha resident, when they were called to a domestic disturbance.
Several business were torched as the Wisconsin city was plunged into civil unrest to cap off a summer of rioting and violent protests against police brutality and so-called “systemic” racism.
An article published by Reuters revealed how one resident talked about the destruction of black businesses–in protests purportedly conducted to raise awareness of black struggles.
“Arsonists set several buildings ablaze and torched much of the Black business district in a second night of unrest in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, triggered by the wounding of a Black man shot in the back by officers,” Reuters tweeted.
Arsonists set several buildings ablaze and torched much of the Black business district in a second night of unrest in the city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, triggered by the wounding of a Black man shot in the back by officers https://t.co/UZEIicZ0SS
— Reuters (@Reuters) August 25, 2020
Daily Wire quoted how local resident, Porche Bennett, spoke of people from elsewhere would wreak havoc throughout the city. Reuters has since appeared to have scrubbed Bennett’s account from the original article.
It read:
Local police, who had support from National Guard troops, fired tear gas, rubber bullets and smoke bombs to disperse the crowd, which grew to several hundred, according to protester Porche Bennett, 31, of Kenosha. Fires destroyed much of the Black business district, Bennett said, adding that the instigators she saw were white. “It’s people from out of town doing this. We’ve been shopping there since we were kids and they set it on fire,” Bennett said.
“White supremacists at work! Fires destroyed much of the Black business district, Bennett said, adding that the instigators she saw were white. “It’s people from out of town doing this”,” one person tweeted.
White supremacists at work!
Fires destroyed much of the Black business district, Bennett said, adding that the instigators she saw were white.
"It's people from out of town doing this”.
— PieterIdenburg (@MRPIE314) August 25, 2020
The Wisconsin Department of Justice recently issued a statement finding that Blake had a weapon on his vehicle’s floorboard before he was shot four times by police, leaving his paralyzed and fighting for his life.
