Kenosha reacts to Rittenhouse’s ruling as protests erupt in cities around the country
In New York, protesters closed the Brooklyn Bridge, and in Portland, Oregon, they forced the prison gates open, prompting the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office to declare a riot.
“The crowd, described as hostile, hurled urine, alcoholic beverages, water bottles and batteries at delegates during the event,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release early Saturday morning. .
The protests are nowhere near the scope of those following the death of George Floyd in the summer of 2020, including the one in Kenosha, in which Rittenhouse shot dead two people and wounded one. is different.
However, some were clearly saddened that Rittenhouse was cleared of all five counts against him, including first-degree intentional murder, first-degree reckless murder, and first-degree murder. one and two counts of reckless endangerment of the first degree.
Rittenhouse claimed to be in self-defense during the shooting.
The Portland Police Office said vandals broke the window of the city’s government printing shop.
“Additional vandalism has been made to the Justice Center building,” PPB said. An image released by police showed graffiti with spray paint, including the message, “All cops are Kyles.”
Police said one arrest was made with five citations and 17 warnings.
A second rally is scheduled for Saturday afternoon.
In Kenosha, about 65 miles north on Lake Michigan, things are “quite quiet,” CNN’s Natasha Chen reported.
There, the families of Rittenhouse’s victims are having to accept the verdict.
“We’re still in shock,” the father of Anthony Huber, one of the victims, told CNN’s Fredricka Whitfield on Saturday.
“That guy [Rittenhouse] run free and now he’s a hero, and here’s my son. This is Anthony,” said John Huber, holding a small vase and a picture of his son. We have lost our son and there is no justice for our family right now and there is nothing to close. ”
Kariann Swart, the fiancée of victim Joseph Rosenbaum, told CNN: “If the life of one or two people doesn’t matter, our lives don’t matter.” “It feels like the lives of the victims don’t matter. And I don’t think that’s acceptable.”
Anthony Huber’s great-grandmother told CNN’s Chris Cuomo that while “everyone has a right to defend themselves,” her grandson “also has a right to his life.”
“Kyle got into his emotional dilemma to deal with it, walking away after killing two people and killing another. It just didn’t seem fair,” great-grandmother, Susan Hughes, told CNN’s Sara. Sidner.
In the trailer for a Tucker Carlson documentary, Rittenhouse said the jury made the right verdict.
“Self-defense is not illegal,” he said.
John Huber said Saturday that preparations were underway for a civil lawsuit over his son’s murder, but he did not provide any details.
“We will fight until there is justice,” he said.
CNN’s Raja Razek, Sara Sidner and Melissa Alonso contributed to this report.
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