The court acquitted the teenager who killed two people: protests erupted in the USA

Mass protests erupted in New York and other US cities on November 18 evening, police said. They were the answer to the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse, writes New York Post.

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Police posted on Twitter a photo of destroyed vehicles in Queens, including a disabled car with "F - k you" written on the trunk in black paint.

“The NYPD is serious about protecting the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters,” the tweet said. “But equally important is the safety of New Yorkers and the protection of property from people breaking the law in the name of protest.”

Law enforcement sources said five people were arrested on charges of damaging cars and homes.

Queens Councilman Robert Holden said protesters broke through Crowley Park and "jumped cars and stole American flags" on residential streets in Middle Village and Muspet.

Holden was outraged by the statement of the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, condemning the verdict, and said that it "added fuel to the fire."

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He said he sent the mayor a text that said, "Thousands of families going about their own business are in danger today because of your reckless reaction to the court's verdict."

About 300 protesters also gathered outside the Brooklyn Barclays Center. They denounce acquittal as a shameful double standard in the justice system.

Some of the protesters had signs that read "There is no justice in capitalist courts" and "Capitalism breeds racist terror."

Meanwhile, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, dozens of protesters gathered outside the courthouse where Rittenhouse was acquitted within hours of the announcement of the ruling.

A large-scale protest never materialized, and the small group was largely peaceful. According to local reports, one of the women was arrested for chalking the phrase "Judge Schroeder Must Resign" on the walls and steps of the courthouse - a reference to Bruce Schroeder, the judge in the Rittenhouse case.

Chants echoed from the crowd, "Fuck Kyle!" and "No justice, no peace!"

Breonna Risby, 21, said that when she first heard the news of the verdict, she was "not surprised, but very upset."

Tensions rose sharply in Portland, Oregon, where a riot was declared after a group of 200 protesters began throwing objects at police officers and destroying city buildings, police said.

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The protesters marched in downtown Chicago (Illinois), where, according to various estimates, there were from 60 to 100 protesters, writes CBS News.

In some cities, fines and arrested persons were reported, there is no information about the victims.

What happened

When protests escalated to violence in Kenosha, Wisconsin after the shooting of black boy Jacob Blake, Rittenhouse came to town and armed himself with a semi-automatic rifle to defend the town. with the BBC.

Surveillance video shows he spent several hours helping patrol the streets. The guy told reporters that his “job” was to protect buildings and even provide medical assistance to protesters.

He began to be pursued by a group of people, one of whom fired into the air. The teen turned to see where the sound was coming from, and another person tried to attack him.

At this moment, the teenager shot at the man, who was later identified as Joseph Rosenbaum. He was unarmed, but Rittenhouse stated in court that the man was trying to grab a pistol, and this was confirmed by one of the witnesses.

While fleeing, the guy noticed that he was being chased by a crowd that saw him shoot Rosenbaum. As a result, the teenager fell and accidentally shot. One of the pursuers was mortally wounded. It was Anthony Huber.

Another man ran away wounded. In court, Gaige Grosskreutz admitted that he confronted Rittenhouse with a pistol, even pointed a weapon at him, but denied that he ever intended to shoot the guy.

One of the charges brought against him was the possession of a dangerous weapon by a person under the age of 18. The charge was later dropped because the defendant's lawyers had successfully proven that state law allows persons under the age of 18 to own firearms.

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In the end, Rittenhouse was charged with five felonies, including first-degree murder, for which he faced life in prison.

What the court decided

Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on November 19 on all charges, writes New York Post.

At the time of the trial, the 18-year-old defendant cried and fell into a chair when the acquittal was announced. Shuddering with sobs, the teen hugged one of his lawyers, and then he was taken out of the courtroom.

The defendant was 17 years old when he took a semi-automatic rifle and a first aid kit to protect the business.

This high-profile case led to a split in American opinion over whether Rittenhouse was a patriot opposing lawlessness during the violence, or simply a dangerous vigilante.

The jury sat for nearly three and a half days before reaching a unanimous verdict.

Following the decision, Anthony Huber's parents, Karen Bloom and Jon Huber, said they were "heartbroken and angry" that Rittenhouse had walked free.

“Today’s verdict means that the man who killed our son will not be held accountable,” they said. “This is an unacceptable sign that armed civilians can show up in any city, incite violence, and then use the danger they create to justify shooting people.”

The Huberians praised their son as "a hero who sacrificed his life to protect other innocent civilians."

“Make no mistake, our fight to bring those responsible for Anthony’s death to justice continues in full force. Neither Rittenhouse nor the Kenosha police, who sanctioned his bloody violence, will escape justice,” Anthony Huber’s parents assured.

Joseph Rosenbaum's fiancée Carianne Swart called the sentence inadmissible.

“It feels like the lives of the victims don’t matter. And I don't think that's acceptable. If the lives of one or two people don’t matter, then our lives don’t matter,” she concluded.

The Rittenhouse family said: "We are all very happy that Kyle can live his life as a free and innocent person, but in this whole situation there are no winners, because there are two people who have lost their lives."

Mark Richards, a lawyer for the defendant, said that after being acquitted, the teenager is ready to leave all the ordeals behind.

“He was relieved and looking forward to moving on with his life,” Richards said. “And for the 12-person jury to find him not guilty meant everything to him.”

After the verdict was announced, the sheriff's deputies were quickly escorted out of the courthouse, avoiding talking to journalists.

Lawyers for Joseph Rosenbaum's family have called for peace following an acquittal.

“What we need now is justice, not more violence. Today's verdict may represent justice delayed rather than no justice, attorneys Kimberly Motley and Milo Schwab said in a statement. “We are determined to uncover the truth about that night and bring those responsible to justice.”

Over the course of the two-week trial, the jury heard how Rittenhouse shot Rosenbaum during the initial confrontation, and just seconds later shot Huber and wounded Grosskreutz.

The guy's lawyers argued that he acted in self-defense and pulled the trigger only when provoked during the protests.

“Kyle Rittenhouse shot Mr. Rosenbaum because he was attacking Kyle. Everyone who was shot attacked Kyle - with a skateboard, hands, feet, a gun," Richards noted.

However, prosecutors presented him as the instigator of bloodshed, stating that he “provoked everything” by bringing a rifle to the protests and then leaving like a “western hero”, ignoring everything he had just done.

“You lose the right to self-defense when you are the one who brought the weapon, when you create danger or provoke other people,” Assistant District Attorney Thomas Binger told the jury.

Rittenhouse, describing how he heard a shot behind him as Rosenbaum chased him down the street, was just sobbing.

“I did what I had to do to stop the person who attacked me,” the teenager noted.

During cross-examination, Rittenhouse insisted that he did not intend to kill any of the victims, and told the jury: “I did not intend to kill them. I just wanted to stop people who were attacking me. "

Rittenhouse testified that Rosenbaum cornered him and put his hand on the barrel of his rifle, Huber hit him with a skateboard, and Grosskreutz attacked him with a pistol.

His account is largely corroborated by a series of eyewitness videotapes that were shown to the jury as well as the witness.

Grosskreutz, the lone survivor, testified as a prosecution witness and confirmed that he inadvertently pointed a pistol at Rittenhouse and the teenager shot him.

“I thought the defendant was an active shooter,” Grosskreutz said. He followed Rittenhouse and saw him shoot a man at close range.

The high-profile trial was filled with heated debates between the prosecution, the defense and even the judge.

The defense demanded that the judge declare a wrong trial and prevent the teenager from being re-tried, and accused the attorney general of asking Rittenhouse questions outside the jurisdiction of the case.

Wisconsin Governor Mandela Barnes, a black Democratic candidate for the US Senate, expressed dismay after Friday's decision.

“Over the past few weeks, many have feared the outcome we have just witnessed,” he said. “We have seen so many young black men killed only to be put on trial posthumously while the judge essentially demanded Kyle Rittenhouse’s innocence.”

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