Authorities Track Local and Online Calls For Vigilantes to Come To Kenosha
KENOSHA, WI (AP & WLIP)–Authorities are tracking online calls for vigilantes to come to Kenosha leading to Tuesday night’s tragic events.
Repeated calls for armed vigilantes to travel to Kenosha to protect businesses following the police shooting of Jacob Blake spread across social media in the hours before two people were shot to death and a third was wounded during a third night of unrest in the city.
Researchers at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Lab said in a Wednesday blog post that multiple threads on Facebook and Reddit urged militias and other armed people to head to the protests.
Social media posts locally purported to call out those who riled up vigilantes ahead of the violence Tuesday night-even calling for charges to be filed.
Kenosha Police Chief Dan Miskinis says he didn’t invite any militias or other civilians to come out and help police.
Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian says the city does not need militias or other people taking up arms to support law enforcement.