Here is what has happened in the Rittenhouse case today.
A jury on Friday found Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on charges related to his shooting dead two people at an anti-racism protest and injuring a third in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year
The acquittal has been widely condemned as a “travesty” that could embolden others to take similar vigilante-style approaches to anti-racism protests and political activists in the future.
Joe Biden commented on the Rittenhouse outcome, saying that he “stands by” the Rittenhouse decision.“I stand by what the jury has concluded. The jury system works.”
Donald Trump “congratulated” Kyle Rittenhouse on today’s verdict. The former president put out a brief statement that read: “If that’s not self-defense, nothing is!”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez condemned the decision as an indictment of America’s justice system: “What we are witnessing is a system functioning as designed and protecting those it was designed for,” she tweeted.
And with that, we will close our blog for the day. Keep an eye on TheGuardian.com this weekend for more updates.
Guardian columnist Cas Muddle has written on what the Rittenhouse verdict says about the state of rightwing vigilantism in the US today and the consequences for progressive demonstrators.
Muddle writes:
We know that “self-defense” – often better known as vigilantism – is legally protected and highly racialized in this country. Think of the acquittal of George Zimmerman of the killing of Trayvon Martin in 2013.
In essence, the Rittenhouse ruling has created a kind of “stand your ground” law for the whole country. White people now have the apparent right to travel around the country, heavily armed, and use violence to protect the country from whatever and whoever they believe to be threatening to it. Given the feverish paranoia and racism that has captured a sizeable minority of white people in the US these days, this is a recipe for disaster.
In the coming hours and days, many media outlets will eagerly await riots or other potentially violent reactions from the other side – from the anti-racists and progressives of all colors and races who are disturbed by this verdict – and use the existence of those riots, if they occur, to push a misguided “both sides” frame. If there is protest or rioting, don’t expect the police to be as courteous and supportive as they were towards Rittenhouse and his far-right buddies.
The most worrying effect of this verdict may be this: giving rightwing vigilantes a legal precedent to take up arms against anyone they consider a threat – which pretty much runs from anti-fascists to so-called Rinos (Republicans in Name Only) and includes almost all people of color – means it is now open hunting season on progressive protesters.
The acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse– who killed two men and injured another during anti-racism protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin – came after a contentious and controversial trial that gripped America.
For many people, Rittenhouse’s treatment was seen as revealing the favorable treatment a white and armed militia supporter received from law enforcement, compared to police attitudes toward anti-racism protesters.
Here are five key moments that happened as the courtroom drama played out:
In other reactions, Donald Trump has just “congratulated” Kyle Rittenhouse on today’s verdict. The former president put out a brief statement that read: “If that’s not self-defense, nothing is!”
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez strongly condemned the Rittenhouse acquittal on Friday, stating in a Twitter thread that “what we are witnessing is a system functioning as designed and protecting those it was designed for”.
Her comments came after Rittenhouse was acquitted on all charges relating to his fatally shooting two protesters and injuring a third last year in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
“My heart still breaks for the communities and families whose grief now compounds, and the countless others who will be denied and deprived in similar scenes across the country,” she wrote.
She also noted the acquittal comes just days after multiple Republican lawmakers praised the accused killer and offered him Congressional internships.
This comes just one day after @GOPLeader announced his intent to reward white supremacist members of Congress who incite violence.
Same party who just appointed 200+ judges, many unqualified, to federal courts- 70% of whom were white men.
Kari Paul is going to take this blog on from here. In lieu of a summary, I’ll thank Reuters for this round-up of prominent comments on the verdict:
Joe Biden: “While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken. I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law.”
Tony Evers, Wisconsin governor (Democratic): “No verdict will be able to bring back the lives of Anthony Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum, or heal Gaige Grosskreutz’s injuries, just as no verdict can heal the wounds or trauma experienced by Jacob Blake [a Black man shot by a white police officer earlier in 2020] and his family. No ruling today changes our reality in Wisconsin that we have work to do toward equity, accountability, and justice that communities across our state are demanding and deserve.”
Ron Johnson, Wisconsin senator (Republican): “I believe justice has been served … I hope everyone can accept the verdict, remain peaceful, and let the community of Kenosha heal and rebuild.”
Karen Bloom and John Huber, parents of Anthony Huber: “Today’s verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son. It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street. We hope that decent people will join us in forcefully rejecting that message and demanding more of our laws, our officials, and our justice system.” David Hancock, Rittenhouse family spokesman: “We are all so very happy that Kyle can live his life as a free and innocent man, but in this whole situation there are no winners, there are two people who lost their lives and that’s not lost on us at all.”
Derrick Johnson, chief executive and president, NAACP: “The verdict … is a reminder of the treacherous role that white supremacy and privilege play within our justice system.”
National Rifle Association: “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.”
Rev Al Sharpton, civil rights campaigner: “These continue to be dark days for Black people killed at the hands of people that believe our lives do not matter. [The men killed and wounded by Rittenhouse were white, but the shootings came amid protests following the police shooting of Jacob Blake and murder of George Floyd.] This verdict was not only outrageous and dangerous, it was also an obvious signal that encourages and notifies ‘vigilantes’ that they can continue to use violence to assert their power, and more importantly that they are above the criminal justice system when they do.”
Ben Crump, civil rights lawyer: “The Rittenhouse case has pulled back the curtain on profound cracks in our justice system - from deep bias routinely and unabashedly displayed by the judge, to apathy of officers who witnessed Rittenhouse’s actions and did nothing.”
Black Voters Matter: “Disappointed but not surprised. This is not justice. This is not accountability. However, this is America.”
From the progressive side of the political fence, here’s a statement from Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat from Michigan who was one of the first Muslim women elected to the US Congress:
Our justice system is broken. It protects white supremacy. The two people who were killed deserved justice and so did our communities who continue be targeted with violence like this.”
To recap, Kyle Rittenhouse, who is white, killed Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz, 27; the victims were white.
However, the shootings occurred during protests in Kenosha in the heated summer of 2020, when protests against racial injustice spread across the US in the aftermath of the murder of a Black man, George Floyd, by a white officer in Minneapolis.
The protests amid which Rittenhouse took his gun to Kenosha from his home across the border in Illinois were stoked too by the shooting in the back of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a white officer. The officer did not face federal charges.
Madison Cawthorn, a young far-right congressman from North Carolina – and professional political gadfly – has this to say: “Kyle Rittenhouse is not guilty, my friends. You have a right to defend yourselves. Be armed, be dangerous and be moral.”
A caption on his short video read: “Kyle, if you want an internship, reach out to me.”
Unsurprisingly, legal professionals have been offering more considered, nuanced, responsible and simply grown-up takes on the verdict.
Michael Graveley, the Kenosha county district attorney, said: “We respect the jury verdict based on three and a half days of careful deliberations. Certainly issues regarding the privilege of self defence remain highly contentious in our current times. We ask that all members of the public accept the verdicts peacefully and not resort to violence.”
There is also a statement from Damon Hewitt, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, who lamented “a long history in which our legal system has failed to hold perpetrators of violence against those who speak up in the name of racial justice accountable.
“Kyle Rittenhouse was part of a self-appointed white militia whose only purpose was to threaten and intimidate protesters outraged by the unjustified shooting and maiming of a Black man [Jacob Blake].
“As the trial and Rittenhouse’s statements and actions made clear, he put himself and everyone around him in danger through his reckless, irresponsible and illegal wielding of a high-powered assault weapon that never belonged on the streets in the first place. He intentionally shot other people while committing a crime, resulting in the killing of two people and severe injury to a third. It is an insult to justice that he is not being held responsible.
“It is also worth noting that Rittenhouse was a child when he committed these acts. Among the most gutting aspects of his trial and acquittal on all charges is that the court afforded him the kinds of protections and benefit of the doubt at every stage that most Black children and children of color are never afforded in this country. In fact, many children of color never quite get to be children at all in a society that labels and objectifies them, from the cradle to the grave.
“Despite this absurd result and ongoing racial injustice, we will continue to fight for an America where everyone is safe from armed aggression, where everyone can also safely express themselves in a space that does not lead to fatal violence, and where all children are protected.”
Speaking to reporters earlier, Mark Richards, the attorney for Kyle Rittenhouse, said he was “thankful in more ways than one that the jury finally got to hear the true story. And … talking about social media and things like that, the story that came out from the beginning was not the true story. And that was something that we had to work to overcome in court.”
Asked if Rittenhouse felt remorse, Richards said: “I think he does. We’ve talked about it. There’s been so much talk about whether the tears [in court] were genuine.
“All I can say is when we prepared Kyle and we worked on his testimony there were things we couldn’t talk about in my office because it got too emotional and he couldn’t handle it. He’s in, you know, counseling for PTSD. So he doesn’t sleep at night.
“Remorse I think manifests itself some other ways. I don’t think he can ever walk out here and say that, because of the situation. But I know Kyle Rittenhouse and I know what he feels.”
He also talked about Rittenhouse’s security – and his own.
“He has to get on with his life the best he can. I think eventually some anonymity will come back to it. I don’t think he’ll continue to live in this area. I think it’s too dangerous. He has had 24-hour security since this happened. We’re thankful that the judge protected his address.
“Everybody in this case and when I say that I mean prosecution, defense, to me it’s scary how many death threats we’ve had. You know, I was answering my phone on the way back into court in Kenosha.
“After the third death threat, I quit answering the phone.”
We have a full, formal statement from Joe Biden. It reads:
While the verdict in Kenosha will leave many Americans feeling angry and concerned, myself included, we must acknowledge that the jury has spoken. I ran on a promise to bring Americans together, because I believe that what unites us is far greater than what divides us. I know that we’re not going to heal our country’s wounds overnight, but I remain steadfast in my commitment to do everything in my power to ensure that every American is treated equally, with fairness and dignity, under the law.
I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, consistent with the rule of law. Violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy. The White House and federal authorities have been in contact with Governor [Tony] Evers’ office to prepare for any outcome in this case, and I have spoken with the governor this afternoon and offered support and any assistance needed to ensure public safety.
No mention, unsurprisingly, of his campaign video which showed Kyle Rittenhouse in a montage linking Donald Trump to white supremacist groups.
Republicans demand apology for 'white supremacist' claim
Kyle Rittenhouse’s defense attorney, Mark Richards, has been speaking to reporters. In a long exchange, Richards was read Joe Biden’s short statement from the White House. The lawyer laughed.
“I’m not laughing at President Biden,” he said. “What I’m laughing at is a friend of mine who’s a lawyer, he and I had done a big case together, seven, eight years ago, and he said, ‘Do you think this Rittenhouse is going to be bigger than that case?’ And I said, ‘You know I do.’ And he said ‘Why?’
“And I said, ‘I’ve never had a case and I don’t think I ever will where within two days or three days of one another, the president [then Donald Trump] and the presidential candidate comment on it. And both of them had such different beliefs.’
“President Biden said some things that I think are so incorrect. [Rittenhouse], he’s not a white supremacist. I’m glad that [Biden] at least respects the jury verdict.”
Last September, an image of Rittenhouse was included in a Biden campaign video which accused Trump of being a white supremacist and supporting such groups, alongside footage of such activity. In light of the Rittenhouse trial and verdict, Republicans have seized on the video, demanding a presidential apology.
Ronna McDaniel, the GOP chair, said: “Before he knew the facts, Biden prejudged the Rittenhouse case. He smeared a teenager to score political points and spread lies about this case. What Biden did was dangerous and inflammatory. Biden needs to apologise and ACT NOW before the left uses his lies to fuel violence.”
Asked about the video at the White House today, Biden declined to answer directly.
The author Don Winslow, a prominent anti-Trump voice on social media, thinks that was a mistake, writing: “I really wish that when President Biden was asked today about the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict he would have simply said ‘I am not going to comment on that’. Instead his answer will come back to haunt him and us.”