The Latest: Protesters march in Kenosha after Trump visit

By Associated Press 02 September 2020, 12:00AM

KENOSHA, Wis. (AP) — The Latest on the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

Demonstrators in Kenosha are marching through city streets, after President Donald Trump has wrapped up a visit to the area.

More than 100 people are following a man with a megaphone, shouting, “Arrest the police” and other chants.

The city saw protest and some violence after the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake. The 29-year-old Black man was shot seven times in the back. His family says he is paralyzed.

At one point, a group of protesters surrounded a man who they said was a member of a white nationalist group. Police officers moved in quickly and pulled the man away from the group. One officer pepper sprayed a woman.

Earlier in the day, a few hundred supporters and detractors of Trump gathered at a city center intersection in Kenosha, mixing and engaging each other in shouting matches at times, but there were no reports of violence.

___

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING IN KENOSHA:

Kenosha has seen protests since Aug. 23, when police shot Jacob Blake, a Black man, seven times in the back. On Monday, President Donald Trump defended a 17-year-old supporter accused of fatally shooting two demonstrators in Kenosha on Aug. 25.

Trump is offering himself as the “law and order” candidate and leader best positioned to keep Americans safe. Biden accused Trump Monday of causing divisions that have ignited violence and distanced himself from radical forces involved in altercations.

Read more:

— An AP Fact Check finds misrepresentation at the core of Trump’s statements about the National Guard

— Absent details, police shooting narratives seek to distract

— Two moments of bloodshed a microcosm of U.S. strife

___

HERE'S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:

3:45 p.m.

A few hundred supporters and detractors of President Donald Trump gathered at a city center intersection in Kenosha, engaging each other in shouting matches at times, but there were no reports of violence.

Some Kenosha residents had feared Trump’s visit Tuesday would prompt violence. Kenosha has seen days of protests and some violence since the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake. Blake was shot seven times in the back. His family says the 29-year-old Black man is paralyzed.

Tensions temporarily rose as Trump’s motorcade rolled by, with his supporters clapping and others booing and cursing. But crowd sizes were modest and passions were mostly tempered.

At least two people were carrying pistols in holsters, telling those around them they were Trump supporters and had open-carry permits.

By mid-afternoon much of the crowd dispersed. A few motorcyclists remained, with flags supporting Trump, and a booth nearby sold T-shirts supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

___

3:25 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he doesn’t believe that there’s a problem with systemic racism in policing as he wraps up a tour in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Trump on Tuesday toured damage caused amid unrest that followed the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake, who is Black.

Trump says police are sometimes under tremendous pressure and don’t handle it well.

Trump is trying to reinforce his support for police leading up to the Nov. 3 elections. He focused his attention Tuesday on the critical swing state of Wisconsin.

When a reporter noted that many of the protests are peaceful, Trump objected. He said “by and large, this is not peaceful protests.”

Protests in Kenosha began the night of Blake’s shooting and were concentrated in the blocks around the county courthouse downtown. The first three nights, more than 30 fires were set and numerous businesses were vandalized.

___

3 p.m.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice says it has reviewed 28 videos related to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha.

Only two cellphone videos that captured the Aug. 23 shooting have been widely distributed over social media. The state Justice Department did not describe what was seen on any of the videos. Kenosha police do not have body cameras.

A police officer shot Blake seven times in the back. Blake’s family says the 29-year-old Black man is paralyzed.

The Justice Department said Tuesday that it also issued four search warrants and collected more than 100 piece of evidence, but did not give any further details.

The update from the agency came as President Donald Trump visited Kenosha to view damage from unrest that followed the shooting.

___

2:50 p.m.

President Donald Trump says he’s committed to helping Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is promising more federal resources for police and small businesses.

Trump is visiting the city over the objections of some state and local leaders, fearful that he will increase tensions. The city saw unrest after a police officer shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back on Aug. 23. Blake’s family says the 29-year-old Black man is paralyzed.

Some places in Kenosha were burned in the unrest. People also broke into businesses and carried away with whatever merchandise they could take. A 17-year-old is accused of killing two demonstrators on Aug. 25.

Trump says the federal government will provide $1 million to local law enforcement, $4 million for small businesses and $42 million to support public safety statewide. It’s unclear how much of that money was on top of funds already appropriated by Congress to the state.

___

2:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with law enforcement officers at a local high school as part of his visit to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The city saw unrest after a police officer shot Jacob Blake on Aug. 23. A 17-year-old has been charged with killing two demonstrators on Aug. 25. Trump has suggested he was acting in self-defense.

Trump is trying to portray himself as a friend of police and to place Democrats on the defensive. He says he came to thank law enforcement and decried property destruction during last week’s protests, saying, “You don’t have a democracy when then happens.”

Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has accused Trump of causing divisions that have ignited violence.

Before meeting with law enforcement, Trump stopped at a burned-out store where the smell of smoke still hung in the air. He remarked that the store had been there for 109 years and that “we’re going to help them a lot.”

___

1:25 p.m.

An event held at the site where Jacob Blake was shot by a Kenosha police officer has a community block party feel to it, as those attending spoke about showing support for Blake and his family.

Tables were set up Tuesday where attendees could register to vote, get a haircut, get food, or even get tested for the coronavirus. One table was labeled as a craft table, where people could write messages to put in Blake’s hospital room. One table offered reiki healing treatments. A DJ played music nearby.

Blake was shot in the back seven times on Aug. 23 while police responded to a call about a domestic dispute. The shooting sparked protests that turned violent. A 17-year-old is accused of killing two demonstrators on Aug. 25.

Blake’s family hosted the community event Tuesday about 2 miles from where President Donald Trump was visiting to tour destruction caused by the unrest.

___

1 p.m.

President Donald Trump has arrived in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as he prepares to tour damage from protests and violence that followed the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Trump’s visit comes despite pleas from Wisconsin’s Democratic governor to stay away for fears of sparking further tumult. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson greeted the president when Air Force One touched down in nearby Waukegan, Illinois.

Blake’s family says he’s paralyzed after police shot the 29-year-old Black man seven times in the back. Demonstrators have called for the officer who shot Blake to be fired and face attempted murder charges.

The president has brought along Attorney General William Barr and acting secretary of Homeland Security, Chad Wolf.

Along the motorcade route, a mix of people waved Black Lives Matter signs and many Trump supporters waved Trump 2020 signs.

___

12:50 p.m.

An uncle of Jacob Blake says a community event designed to help the city of Kenosha heal is focused on getting justice for “Little Jake,” not on a nearby visit by President Donald Trump.

Justin Blake spoke Tuesday at the site where police shot his nephew in the back seven times on Aug. 23, leaving him paralyzed. Trump is visiting Kenosha to tour destruction caused during unrest that followed the shooting.

Justin Blake says Trump’s comments over the last four years have given police officers an incentive to brutalize Black men like his nephew. He says he doesn’t care about Trump’s motivation for visiting Kenosha. Instead, he’s focused on getting justice and healing the city.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said recent remarks by the president have emboldened and inspired militia members and justified the fatal shootings of two protesters in Kenosha on Aug. 25. He called the president’s comments “polarizing.”

___

12:25 p.m.

Several dozen supporters of President Donald Trump have gathered at a Kenosha intersection near damage caused during unrest that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

David Wilson stood in the street in a Trump hat and clutching a Trump campaign banner ahead of a visit from the president Tuesday. The 34-year-old Kenosha resident says he believes outsiders have driven much of the protests and violence that followed the Aug. 23 shooting of Blake.

He says his “hometown should not be proving ground for the rest of the country to do battle in.”

Police shot Blake seven times in the back while responding to a call about a domestic dispute. Family members say the 29-year-old Black man is paralyzed.

A 17-year-old from a nearby Illinois community is charged with fatally shooting two demonstrators on Aug. 25.

Blake’s family is holding a community event about 2 miles away, near where he was shot.

___

12:15 p.m.

An uncle of Jacob Blake says the justice system needs to be changed so that Black children can play outside without worrying about being shot by police.

Justin Blake is calling for authorities to charge the officer who shot his nephew on Aug. 23. Police shot Black seven times in the back while responding to a call about a domestic dispute. Family members say the 29-year-old Black man is paralyzed.

The family is hosting a community event Tuesday to call for justice and support rebuilding Kenosha, after unrest last week left parts of the city damaged. The event is being held near where Blake was shot as President Donald Trump is headed to the city to tour destruction that’s about 2 miles away.

Justin Blake says it’s time for Kenosha to heal. He says the family is asking protesters to stand with the Blake family, but remain nonviolent.

___

11 a.m.

President Donald Trump says he’s heading to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to thank law enforcement and the National Guard “for a job well done.”

The city has seen protests since police shot Jacob Blake seven times in the back on Aug. 23. Blake’s family says the 29-year-old Black man is paralyzed from the waist down. A 17-year-old is accused of fatally shooting two demonstrators on Aug. 25.

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers deployed the National Guard to quell demonstrations. But Trump is taking credit for the deployment, even though his demand that Guard troops be used came a day after Evers had activated them. Trump asserts that Kenosha “would have been burnt to the ground by now” if it weren’t for the National Guard.

By Associated Press 02 September 2020, 12:00AM

Trending Stories

Samoa Observer

Upgrade to Premium

Subscribe to
Samoa Observer Online

Enjoy unlimited access to all our articles on any device + free trial to e-Edition. You can cancel anytime.

>