In response to the not guilty verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, Jake Spence, State Director of the Wisconsin Working Families Party, who has been helping Kenosha activists build local political power said:
“If the goal of our criminal justice system is to promote well-being, public safety and justice for all, then today’s verdict is an abject failure. And it’s also a permission slip for future vigilantes.
“This failure that lays at the feet of every judge, District Attorney, sheriff, and politician who has let armed white militants like Rittenhouse walk free time after time, while giving law enforcement carte blanche to brutalize people like Jacob Blake, kill people like Joel Acevedo, and harass Black and brown people.
“Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty, but this ruling proves that the whole damn system is guilty as hell. The only way to change it is to vote out the politicians who built and run this broken system, and elect leaders who will work with us to win real justice and safety for all. You can expect more of that in Kenosha in the months to come.”
Tanya McClean, Executive Director of Leaders of Kenosha and WI WFP activist who has been leading the #JusticeForJacob organizing in Kenosha, said:
“We know that even a guilty verdict cannot deliver justice, bring back Anthony Huber and JoJo Rosenbaum, or ensure true safety for our communities. We are coming together to show our leaders in Kenosha, the White House, and everywhere that we won’t stop until they meet this moment, fund our lives, and secure justice and safety for all, no exceptions.”
