Anti-racism protesters concerned about increased presence of far-right militias at U.S. demonstrations
Community organizer wants to hear from the president 'a message of equality, of fairness, of justice'
A Wisconsin community organizer says the growing presence of armed far-right militias at Black Lives Matter protests across the United States are endangering the lives of those demonstrating and their violent behaviour is being emboldened by President Donald Trump.
A demonstration in Kenosha, Wis., turned deadly last week after a white 17-year-old from Illinois shot and killed two protesters and wounded a third during a night of unrest following the weekend police shooting of Jacob Blake. Kyle Rittenhouse was arrested and is facing multiple charges. He would face a mandatory life sentence if convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, the most serious crime in Wisconsin.
Thousands have been rallying after an officer shot Blake seven times in the back, leaving the 29-year-old Black man paralyzed.
Since the police shooting, the streets of Kenosha have been "chaos," said Corey Prince.
"We have the occupying force of the police who … routinely antagonized the crowd and the crowd antagonized the police back. There's a push and a pull and it [gave way] to flash bang grenades, tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets. People hurt, crying, injured, people running, trampled," he told The Current's guest host Robyn Bresnahan.
'Looking to spark conflict'
Prince said armed members of the public had been spotted throughout the city during the day prior to the Kenosha shooting. "There was an armed militia. There was a Protect Kenosha militia rally."
He said he spoke to "three gentlemen who were disguised in military gear with their faces covered," who told Prince that the militia were "trying to encourage protesters to go in a certain direction, to walk a certain way."
WATCH | 2 killed, 1 injured in Kenosha, Wis., shooting:
"Myself and the security team that I was with asked simply, 'Who are you and why are you here?' They said they were here to protect protesters, but also to protect businesses," Prince said.
Sam Jackson, assistant professor in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the State University of New York, said both armed individuals and those associated with organized far-right militias have "multiple motivations" for attending the protests.
Some individuals were motivated by a desire to defend businesses from what they see as lawlessness and violence coming from protesters, while others are "more antagonistic or looking to spark conflict," Jackson said.
"Many of these individuals might have gone to these communities as Trump supporters looking to get in clashes of various kinds with protesters who they see as [being] a threat to America.
"Another category of individuals are motivated by deep racism within themselves, within their group, where they are organized around some sort of perceived white identity and view that identity as being threatened by individuals affiliated with the Black Lives Matter movement," Jackson said.
Trump visits Kenosha
Despite objections from local leaders, Trump is slated to visit Kenosha on Tuesday. The president defended Rittenhouse, accused of the fatal shooting in Kenosha last week, saying the suspect probably would've been killed himself.
He also suggested Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden is siding with "anarchists" and "rioters."
Prince said he wants to hear from the president "a message of equality, of fairness, of justice, a message of right and wrong, a message of accountability to police officers and law enforcement, of easement of systemic oppression [and] systemic racism in this country."
However, he added that he believes Trump is "coming to create more chaos, to sow dissent and to stoke the fires of racism, to ignite his racist base and continue to fire the flames."
Bakari Sellers, political analyst with CNN and former Democratic member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, said Trump's visit to the city is a "political strategy where the president is using violence and carnage … as political currency."
"By standing next to a burned down building, he's able to say that he is a president of law and order. What he is not doing is meeting with the family of Jacob Blake. What he's not doing is condemning the shooting of unarmed Black men."
Written by Adam Jacobson. Produced by Cameron Perrier, Emily Rendell-Watson, Howard Goldenthal.