500 National Guard troops have been put on standby in Wisconsin in anticipation of a verdict in the case of Kenosha shooter Kyle Rittenhouse. Governor Tony Evers announced that the guardsmen will be stationed outside Kenosha, ready to support local police in the event of unrest over the weekend and next week.
‘We continue to be in close contact with our partners at the local level to ensure the state provides support and resources to help keep the Kenosha community and greater area safe. The Kenosha community has been strong, resilient, and has come together through incredibly difficult times these past two years, and that healing is still ongoing.
‘I urge folks who are otherwise not from the area to please respect the community by reconsidering any plans to travel there and encourage those who might choose to assemble and exercise their First Amendment rights to do so safely and peacefully,’ he said. Closing arguments begin on Monday and the likelihood of an acquittal or mistrial is growing by the day.
Police forces across America are preparing for potential unrest, should the verdict trigger protests in other cities. Rittenhouse, 18, is on trial for murdering two white BLM protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last August.
The teenage gunman claims he was defending his hometown from an angry mob, but his critics say he embodies the systemic racism the victims were protesting against. Closing arguments are expected next week but the case has already been thrown into chaos, with many expecting it will either end in acquittal or mistrial. READ MORE
