Kenosha police units determined to enforce the city’s curfew, fired tear gas into a large group of rioters and forced them to disperse after they had attempted to form a defensive shield wall.
Kenosha rioters mimicked the tactics of their counterparts in Portland, by forming a shield wall which would allow other rioters to throw projectiles at law enforcement from cover.
Preliminary shield lines going head to head with police here in #Kenosha
Antifa establishes “shield lines” as a defensive measure to protect from munitions and allow their offensive agents do their dirty work from behind by throwing projectiles pic.twitter.com/6frh6gvmV7
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 26, 2020
When police vehicles began forming in-line, rioters began throwing explosive projectiles at police.
Rioters are getting mopped up quickly by Sheriffs in #Kenosha
Rioters are throwing explosive projectiles at vehicles pic.twitter.com/4RidZ02n69
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 26, 2020
Things are intensify here in #Kenosha pic.twitter.com/EppSKxmbG8
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 26, 2020
Though, the standoff did not last long. Police began firing large amounts of tear gas at the rioters who quickly dropped their shields and ran.
After BLM and Antifa rioters began to throw projectiles
Officers begin to deploy tear gas
Rioters then flee like roaches #kenoshariot pic.twitter.com/6l5dCwK1wI
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 26, 2020
In addition to the tear gas, police also had success firing large rubber bullets at protesters.
That’s what this rioter took to the gut
Police in #Kenosha are mopping Antifa and BLM up quickly tonight so far pic.twitter.com/fund9wBPXt
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 26, 2020
“Kenosha has been marred by violent unrest since police shot Jacob Blake several times in the back while responding to a domestic incident on Sunday,” the UPI writes. “An eyewitness said that police told Blake to “drop the knife,” though he himself did not witness Blake carrying a knife.
“Blake’s father told the Chicago Sun Times his son is paralyzed from the waist down; doctors don’t yet know if the condition is permanent. Late Monday and early Tuesday, a group of rioters set fire to several Kenosha businesses and some looters made off with merchandise. They set one fire at the Community Corrections Building and vandals targeted vehicles and street lights.”
Kenosha had declared a curfew for 8:00 PM local time. However, within two hours of the start of the curfew, rioters filled the streets and began attacking the courthouse and police. The rioting in Kenosha is now entering its third night.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
