“This Is Insane”: Kenosha Melts Down As Cars Smashed, Buildings Torched And Looters Run Wild In Second Night Of Unrest

Anarchy broke out on the streets of Kenosha, Wisconsin Monday as protesters squared off with National Guardsman in the second night of unrest over the shooting of a reportedly unarmed black man by police on Sunday.

The night was documented by journalist Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) with photos via the Daily Mail (EPA).

Rioters are SMASHING through the streets right now. This is insane. #KenoshaRiots #Kenosha #KenoshaUprising

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 25, 2020

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Car-smashing spree in downtown Kenosha tonight #KenoshaRiots #KenoshaProtests #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/GuIuobzYxx

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 25, 2020

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Tear gas was deployed in an attempt to clear protesters who had gathered in front of the Kenosha County courthouse, while Gov. Tony Evers deployed 125 members of the National Guard to assist local law enforcement.

Massive fires were set throughout the city, including car dealerships, a Department of Corrections administrative building, and an office furniture company.

The Department of Corrections building in Kenosha is completely ablaze. pic.twitter.com/ugC6hBtSMz

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) August 25, 2020

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SWAT teams and tactical units arrive to try to get the situation under control #KenoshaRiots #Kenosha #Kenoshapolice pic.twitter.com/HmhbVbr37m

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 25, 2020

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In a now-viral video, 29-year-old Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back while attempting to enter his car during an altercation with police. He is currently in serious condition in a Milwaukee hospital, according to the Daily Mail – which notes that in Blake was charged with resisting arrest and carrying a concealed weapon in 2015 after he pulled a gun at a local bar in Racine.

Meanwhile, details have emerged about Blake’s criminal past, including a recent arrest for sexual assault.

According to online records, Kenosha County prosecutors charged Blake with third-degree sexual assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct in connection with domestic abuse. –Daily Mail

In addition to the fire and destruction, mass looting ensued – including a Mattress store which was then burned to the ground.

Mattresses looted from this store minutes before the building was burned to the ground #KenoshaRiots #Kenosha #KenoshaProtests pic.twitter.com/OD4gJhrQdo

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 25, 2020

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Dozens of stores looted and vandalized in Kenosha tonight #KenoshaRiots #Kenosha #KenoshaProtests pic.twitter.com/sVyRUjxC1F

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 25, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsMeanwhile, armed private citizens stood guard outside a local gas station to protect it from looters.

Private citizens stand guard with guns outside this gas station to protect it from looting #Kenosha #KenoshaRiots #KenoshaUprising pic.twitter.com/ASOnpTk638

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) August 25, 2020

On Monday, tensions flared after a Monday press conference with Mayor John Antarmian was moved from a park to inside the city’s public safety building, according to Fox News, which notes that “Hundreds of protesters rushed to the building and a door was snapped off its hinges before police in riot gear pepper-sprayed the crowd, which included a photographer from The Associated Press.”

Evers and a number of other Democrats condemned the shooting. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden called for “an immediate, full and transparent investigation” and said the officers “must be held accountable.”

“This morning, the nation wakes up yet again with grief and outrage that yet another Black American is a victim of excessive force,” he said, just over two months before Election Day in a country already roiled by the recent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta and Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Kentucky. “Those shots pierce the soul of our nation.”

Republicans and the police union accused the politicians of rushing to judgment, reflecting the deep partisan divide in Wisconsin, a key presidential battleground state. Wisconsin GOP members also decried the violent protests, echoing the law-and-order theme that President Trump has projected during his campaign. –Fox News

For more on-scene coverage, we highly recommend giving Gutenschwager a follow.