Jacob Blake protesters try to storm the courthouse in Kenosha in THIRD night of chaos
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Protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake entered their third night in Kenosha on Tuesday with crowds gathering outside the county courthouse, throwing projectiles and fireworks at police.
About 200 demonstrators defied the city’s 8pm curfew again after Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency following a night of violence and destruction that saw rioters set fire to businesses and vehicles across the city.
Kenosha has become the nation’s latest flashpoint in a summer of racial unrest after police officers shot 29-year-old Blake, an unarmed black man, multiple times in the back during a confrontation on Sunday, leaving him paralyzed.
The shooting comes three months after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis which sparked nationwide protests against police brutality and racism.
Protesters spilled onto the streets once more on Tuesday, this time gathering outside the court where Blake’s family publicly spoke out against the riots hours earlier in a press conference.
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Chaos rocks Kenosha for a third night: Protests defied curfew and gathered outside the county courthouse on Tuesday night, clashing with police
Demonstrators were seen trying to topple over a black fence that was installed around the court earlier as officials braced for another night of destruction
Protesters gathered outside wearing helmets and masks, and some held makeshift shields as they prepared to face off with police
Sheriff’s deputies dressed in riot gear meanwhile stood guard and held up their shields as protesters targeted them with projectiles
A woman was seen shouting and flipping off police during the protest outside the courthouse on Tuesday
Demonstrators, some of whom were wearing helmets and equipped with makeshift protective gear, were seen trying to storm a black iron fence that had been installed to protect the court from rioters.
Meanwhile, officers dressed in riot gear stood guard behind the barrier, holding up shields as protesters shouted expletives and hurled bottles at them.
Footage from the scene also showed people throwing fireworks in the direction of cops as they ignored their orders to disperse.
In one video shared by a journalist on Twitter, one man was seen trying to set fire to an American flag before being deterred by pepperballs fired by police.
Kenosha County sheriffs deputies warned crowds over loud speaker that they were participating in an unlawful gathering while urging them to leave the area.
The crowd responded by chanting ‘black lives matter’, prompting police to fire rubber bullets.
Protesters took cover behind a trash bin as police fired tear gas and armored vehicles moved to the outside of the iron fence in front of the court
People were seen using umbrellas and plastic shields to protect themselves from tear gas and rubber bullets
A protester shielded himself with an umbrella and took cover behind a dumpster during clashes outside the Kenosha County Courthouse
Members of the crowd came armed with makeshift protective gear ahead of Tuesday’s night skirmish
A law enforcement officer was seen emerging from the hatch of an armored vehicle to fire rubber bullets at protesters after they ignored orders to clear the area
Flares are seen near a Kenosha County Sheriff vehicle during the protests on Tuesday night
Several military-style armored patrol vehicles were also called in and were seen maneuvering around the county courthouse, firing tear gas at the crowd.
The disturbances came hours after Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers vowed to deploy additional National Guard troops in a bid to restore order in the town, while Blake’s mother publicly appealed for calm.
On Tuesday, President Trump, who has consistently denounced the BLM protests that have rocked the country in recent months, urged Wisconsin officials to call in the National Guard to quell the unrest, despite troops already being on the ground.
‘Governor should call in the National Guard in Wisconsin. It is ready, willing, and more than able. End problem FAST!’ Trump tweeted.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows later revealed Governor Evers had turned down Trump’s offer for federal assistance, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.
An armored vehicle moves to the outside of the iron fence in front of the County Court House as police fired teargas towards protesters after they failed to clear the area
Protests over the shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday began started off peacefully before descending into chaos as protesters defied curfew and targeted police
A spokeswoman for Evers told the paper: ‘The governor informed them that we would be increasing Wisconsin National Guard support in Kenosha and therefore would not need federal assistance in response to protests but would welcome additional federal support and resources for our state’s response to COVID-19.’
Blake, 29, a father of six, was struck from behind at point-blank range in a hail of bullets fired on Sunday by police who were following him with guns drawn as he walked away from officers to his car and opened a door to the vehicle.
Three of his young sons inside the automobile – aged three, five and eight – witnessed their father being gunned down, according to civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represents the Blake family.
A bystander captured the encounter in video footage that immediately went viral, unleashing outrage over the latest in a long series of instances in which police have been accused of using indiscriminate lethal force against African Americans.
Blake, who had been attempting to break up a quarrel between two women, was struck by multiple gunshots fired at him, all by one officer.
Crump also revealed Blake was undergoing surgery for his injuries, adding that the bullets severed his spinal cord and shattered his vertebrae. Another attorney said there was also severe damage to organs.
‘It’s going to take a miracle for Jacob Blake Jr to ever walk again,’ Crump said.
The legal team plans to file a civil lawsuit against the police department over the shooting.
Police have not explained why Blake was shot.
At a news conference earlier in the day, Blake’s parents expressed anguish over the shooting while decrying two previous nights of looting, vandalism and arson that overshadowed peaceful street protests.
Blake’s mother, Julia Jackson, said the damage in Kenosha does not reflect what her family wants and that, if her son could see it, he would be ‘very unpleased.’
After a night during which protests devolved into unrest, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers had called for calm Tuesday, while also declaring a state of emergency under which he doubled the National Guard deployment in Kenosha from 125 to 250.
The night before crowds destroyed dozens of buildings and set more than 30 fires in the city’s downtown.
‘We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue,’ said Evers, who is facing mounting pressure from Republicans over his handling of the unrest.
‘We also cannot continue going down this path of damage and destruction.’
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