Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters clash with Rittenhouse supporters, leading to multiple people being arrested by Police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Wednesday.
According to Freedom News, the incident occurred near the trial when the fight broke out between the opposing sides.
Warning: Vulgar Language
The tensions escalated as a pro-BLM protester hurled misogynistic insults toward a pro-Rittenhouse female protester. Upon the police attempts to calm the situation, people started pushing back into the street, prompting several arrests.
Kenosha has been bracing for a potential riot if Rittenhouse is acquitted. As NBC News reported:
In the heart of downtown, small-business owners were prepared for the worst, fearing protesters, crime, and vandalism may return regardless of the outcome in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial.
As closing arguments got underway Monday, residents and business owners braced for a possible repeat of August 2020 when demonstrators took to the streets after a white police officer shot Jacob Blake, a black resident, leaving him partially paralyzed.
Lyna Postuchow, a floral shop owner, said businesses should be prepared to face the worst.
“No matter which way the verdict goes, somebody is going to be upset,” said Postuchow. “You always have to be ready because you don’t know what’s going to happen, but we hope cooler minds prevail.”
As of yet, no verdict has been reached in the Rittenhouse trial.
