FRSO strongly condemns the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse on all charges. This verdict is another example of how the police and courts work hand in hand with racist vigilantes to kill and injure African Americans, other oppressed nationalities, and all who try to fight to end police crimes.

Denver, CO – On October 27, students from the University of Colorado Denver gathered to speak out and demand justice for Jacob Blake. Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha, Wisconsin Police Department Officer Rusten Sheskey in August of 2020, sparking a major rebellion.

Kenosha WI – On August 21, members of the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression joined in a Kenosha rally and march marking the first anniversary of the attempted murder of an African American man, Jacob Blake. Blake, a Kenosha resident, had stopped to break up a fight one year before. When police arrived at the scene to respond to a resident’s call, they immediately assumed Blake was at fault, and seven shots were fired into his back. Blake was paralyzed from the waist down due to this attack. The incident led to what is now known as the Kenosha Uprising.

Minneapolis, MN – Several hundred community members gathered at the Hennepin County Government Center on January 9 in below freezing weather, to rally and march for justice for Jacob Blake, who was shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Dolal Idd, shot and killed by Minneapolis police.

On January 5, Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley announced that there would be no charges against police officer Rusten Sheskey, who attempted to execute Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, by shooting him seven times in the back at point blank range on August 23, 2020. Blake was shot while his children watched in horror from the back seat of his vehicle. The other two officers who assisted Sheskey in his crime will also face no charges.

Kenosha, WI – Activists from multiple southeastern Wisconsin organizations gathered Monday, January 4, blocks from downtown Kenosha, to hear from Jacob Blake’s family and demand justice. The gathering came together in response to the upcoming decision from Kenosha District Attorney Michael Graveley on whether Rusten Sheskey will be charged with any kind of crime. Sheskey is the officer who shot Jacob Blake in the back seven times in August, which sparked a week of protest in Kenosha and surrounding areas.

Cole family arrested one day after killer cop not charged

Milwaukee, WI – Protests in the Milwaukee suburb of Wauwatosa ramped up over the past two nights. On October 7, Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm ruled that although the shooting death of Alvin Cole in February was not justified, Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah would not face charges for the murder. Mensah is also responsible for the murders of Antonio Gonzales and Jay Anderson. Chisholm was the district attorney who filed no charges in each of those cases, as well as six other instances of killer cops in and around Milwaukee.

Kenosha, WI – On the evening of August 28, more than 200 people gathered outside the Kenosha Municipal Court building to demand justice for Jacob Blake and the victims of killer Kyle Rittenhouse. The rally was called for by the Milwaukee Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, with support from UW-Parkside Students for a Democratic Society, Kenosha EquiTeens, Wisconsin Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the Chicago Alliance. Many in the crowd held signs that read “Stop police crimes! Demand a civilian police accountability council!”

Milwaukee, WI – Professional athletes have always been engaged in politics because sports, like everything else, cannot be removed from the broader political environment. Black athletes like Colin Kaepernick joined their voices with the Black Lives Matter movement in 2016, condemning the epidemic of police crimes impacting oppressed communities. The movement of athletes taking a knee swept across the country and across sports, from professional football to soccer and everywhere in between.

Uprising in day 3

Kenosha, WI – August 25 marked the third night of the uprising that has engulfed Kenosha since the attempted murder of Jacob Blake at the hands of Kenosha police. It was also the deadliest yet, with several people being shot as reactionaries descended on the city. Two of those shot tragically lost their lives.