Fourth night of Kenosha protests peaceful

By Adam Kelnhofer for WisPolitics.com

A fourth night of protests in Kenosha following the police shooting of a Black father of six was mostly peaceful, a contrast from previous nights that saw looting, property damage and three people shot, two fatally.

The relative calm came amid heightened local, state and federal law enforcement presence.

As hundreds of protestors marched through the streets of downtown Kenosha last night, police arrested several group members. The police emerged from unmarked vehicles, at least one with a blacked out license plate, while other unmarked police vehicles circled the group from a few blocks away.

The group of more than a couple hundred gathered at Civic Center Park around 6 p.m. near the Kenosha Courthouse, grilling food and chanting “No justice, no peace!” And “Black lives matter!”

Shortly after the 7 p.m. curfew in the city, officers jumped out of a variety of unmarked vehicles and an armored personnel carrier with their guns drawn and arrested one person in a rental van before driving off. At least one officer pointed the barrel of his handgun at dozens of nearby protesters.

The group marched in a rectangle pattern for several blocks chanting “Say his name, Jacob Blake,” “No justice, no peace,” “What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now.” Law enforcement mostly lingered in the distance.

The presence of federal law enforcement agents was noticeable, and this stoked fears among protesters that they could be grabbed off the street as some accused agents of doing in Portland.

“Even if you don’t know anybody here, make a friend,” pleaded one leader through a megaphone as the group marched back toward the park where they started.

See photos from last night below.