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Armed civilians defend local businesses from rioters in Kenosha, Wisc. as protests continue

Demonstrators have marched through the streets of Kenosha since Sunday, when a 29-year-old black man was shot by police.

Published: August 25, 2020 12:33pm

Updated: August 25, 2020 7:01pm

Protests over the police shooting of a black male in Wisconsin continued Tuesday night, amid social media postings that appear to show residents arming themselves to protect against the vandalism and arson.

The protests and riots started in the city of Kenosha on Sunday after police shot 29-year-old Jacob Blake multiple times when when responding to a domestic violence report.

A video of the incident shows Blake walking away from officers and around his vehicle as the officers pursue him with their guns raised. Blake had opened his car door when an officer grabbed the back of his shirt and fired into Blake's back.

In one video posted to Twitter, several armed men are seen standing outside a local business. When asked if they are protecting the building, one of them answers, "We're out here trying to protect residents, we're trying to protect the innocent people, and we're trying to protect the businesses of the citizens out here."

Later in the video, one of the men yells at passing protestors, "I'm on your side, as long as you're against the cops, but you can't burn down your local businesses."

In an interview on Tuesday with the Chicago-Sun Times, Blake's father said that his son is currently paralyzed from the waist down and has eight holes in his body. 

During a Sunday night demonstration, a Wisconsin police officer was knocked out by a brick that was thrown at him by a member of a a nearby mob. People in the crowd around the collapsed officer shouted, "F--k the police." 

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