The exoneration of Kyle Rittenhouse in his trial for the death of two men, whom he shot in a protest in Wisconsin, has generated anger and grief in the families of the victims;
a call for calm from the president, Joe Biden, on fear of possible unrest;
and a message of support for the young man from former President Donald Trump, showing how this case exposes deep divisions around issues such as racial justice, weapons and the right to kill in self-defense in the United States.
The president showed his
"anger and concern"
at the verdict, and promised "to do everything possible to ensure that all Americans are treated with equality, fairness and dignity under the law."
"I urge everyone to express their views peacefully, in accordance with the rule of law," added Biden in his statement, "violence and destruction of property have no place in our democracy."
Rittenhouse, 18, burst into tears on Friday when a jury found him not guilty of the five charges against him for shooting with his AR-15 rifle in the summer of 2020 during a protest against police brutality and racism. in the city of Kenosha.
Protesters argue in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse on Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Wisconsin, as Kyle Rittenhouse is acquitted of all charges against him.
Paul Sancya / AP
A sheriff's deputy then quickly led him out the back door, as the first protests in support of the fatalities raged outside the courthouse: 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum and 26-year-old Anthony Huber.
Anticipating possible backlash, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers ordered the deployment of 500 national guards and called for "calm."
"
We are not begging for a handout, we want the boot to be taken off our necks
," Johnathon McClellan, president of the Minnesota Coalition for Justice, told The Associated Press news agency, referring to situations of police abuse.
"We want a fair game and on the same plane, and not that hill that we must climb and fight with a hand tied behind our back, or a knee on our neck, or weapons pointed at our heads or that of our children," he added.
The Kenosha protests on August 25, 2020, were in response to shots fired days earlier by a white police officer at Jacob Blake, who was paralyzed from the waist down.
"He hit me with his skateboard": Kyle Rittenhouse bursts into tears and claims he was defending himself
Nov. 11, 202102: 15
Rittenhouse and other gunmen said they went to Kenosha that day to protect private property.
The young man declared having acted in self-defense by shooting Rosenbaum and Huber to death and wounding a third person, while the prosecution argued that it was he who incited the violence.
"
We are heartbroken and enraged,
" Huber's parents, who followed the trial from a distance, said in a statement.
"We did not go to the trial because we could not bear to sit in court and watch over and over again videos of our son's murder, and because we have received many painful and unpleasant comments in the last year," they said.
"
There was no justice today for Anthony or the other Rittenhouse victims,
" they lamented.
Bishop Tavis Grant comforts Hannah Gittings, girlfriend of Anthony Huber, who was fatally shot by Kyle Rittenhouse, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.Paul Sancya / AP
Meanwhile, Rittenhouse was on his way home.
"He
has a great sense of relief,
" his attorney, Mark Richards, told a news conference.
“I wish none of this had happened.
But, as he said when he testified, he did not initiate this, ”he assured in relation to the events recorded on the night of August 25.
Reactions of support also did not wait among those who see Rittenhouse as a defender of the right to bear arms protected by the Second Amendment of the Constitution, as well as citizen surveillance and self-defense.
"
Congratulations to Kyle Rittenhouse for being found not guilty of all charges
," Trump said in a statement, "if what happened is not self-defense, nothing is!"
Videos of the night Kyle Rittenhouse killed 2 people star on the eighth day of his trial
Nov. 12, 202101: 49
Biden said that the White House and federal authorities are in contact with the Minnesota governor to provide the necessary support "
to ensure public safety
."
["Trump legitimizes the dark side of human nature": Biden talks to Jacob Blake and his family on their trip to Kenosha]
Kenosha District Attorney Michael Graveley also requested that the verdict, which took after three and a half days of deliberations, be respected, and asked "not to resort to violence."
"Certainly, issues related to the privilege of self-defense remain highly controversial in our current times," he remarked in a statement.
