After the fatal clashes during protests against police violence in Kenosha, it is unclear who fired the shots and who the victims are. US President Trump wants to send the National Guard.
By Claudia Sarre, ARD Studio Washington
Two people dead, one with gunshot wounds in the hospital: after initially peaceful demonstrations, the protests against police violence in Kenosha escalate. Angry protesters roam the streets after dark, throwing stones and fireworks. The police respond with tear gas.
In a suburb, residents seem to be taking matters into their own hands. A video on social networks shows clashes between protesters and armed men who want to protect businesses. Shots are fired, and the video shows a man running away with a gun. We still don’t know who shot or who the victims are.
Kenosha County Sheriff David Beth is leading the investigation. He speaks of militia – citizens’ militia. Bakari Sellers, a civil rights activist and politician from South Carolina, confirms this on CNN: “They are not counter-demonstrators,” he says. “These are people who want their country back. They show up there with guns to protect the local gas station. And then incidents like this happen.”
Trigger: Shots at 29-year-old family man
The protests were triggered by a police officer being shot at the African American Jacob Blake. Why the policeman shot the 29-year-old father several times in the back from close range is not clear. Blake had previously tried to settle a dispute between women, there was a scuffle with the police, and when Blake tried to get into his car, the shots rang out. Three of his children, who sat in the car, witnessed the incident.
His family distanced themselves from the violence the case sparked. Their lawyer, Patrik Salvi, told CNN that it was very unfortunate and they wanted to prevent any further violence. He also said Blake is believed to be paralyzed from the back injuries.
Protests planned from Friday
There are already warnings of civil war-like conditions in the country. US President Donald Trump announced on Twitter that he would send the National Guard to Kenosha.
Previously, the former Washington DC police chief Charles Ramsey had spoken out in favor of increasing the presence of the National Guard in the city. Otherwise there will be more incidents of this kind. He hopes that the unrest does not spread beyond Kenosha.
Since the death of George Floyd during a police check, there have been repeated protests against police violence in the USA. Most of them, however, are peaceful. For Friday, the anniversary of the black civil rights movement, Black Lives Matter activists are planning a march on Washington to demonstrate for more social justice.
