Gov. Tony Evers: We Cannot Allow ‘Hateful Actions of a Few’ to Distract Our Pursuit of Justice

Tony Evers
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
Hannah Knudsen

Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) released a statement Wednesday, following the violent night of protests in his state, reminding protesters that they cannot allow the “hateful actions of a few” to distract from the pursuit for a more “fair, equitable, and accountable state and country for Jacob Blake and the many others who deserve justice.”

Evers began his statement by offering condolences to the friends and families of the two individuals who died and one who was wounded during Tuesday’s protest.

“We as a state are mourning this tragedy,” he said.

“I want to be very clear: we should not tolerate violence against any person. I’m grateful there has already been swift action to arrest one person involved,” he said, adding that those responsible for the “senseless tragedy” must be held accountable.

The governor pleaded with protesters, asking them to demonstrate “peacefully and safely, as so many did last night” and politely requesting those who “are not there to exercise those rights to please stay home and let local first responders, law enforcement, and members of the Wisconsin National Guard do their jobs.”

Although there has been chaos and bloodshed, Evers emphasized that activists “cannot let the hateful actions of a few designed to create chaos distract us from our pursuit for a more fair, equitable, and accountable state and country for Jacob Blake and the many others who deserve justice.”

“We must work to find strength in each other and our communities to rebuild and move our state forward, together,” he stated.

Illinois teenager Kyle Rittenhouse, 17, has been arrested and charged with murder for Tuesday night’s fatal shootings. Several reports indicate that Rittenhouse came to the area to guard businesses following Monday’s violent protests, which saw several businesses torched by arsonists and destroyed by vandals.

Prior to Tuesday’s deadly protests, local authorities indicated the need for 750 National Guard members, yet Gov. Evers only authorized 250, initially declining assistance from the White House. On Wednesday, Evers authorized 500 members of the Wisconsin National Guard to assist law enforcement in Kenosha County, and President Trump announced that the governor finally accepted the White House’s offer for federal assistance to quell the unrest, vowing to restore “LAW and ORDER!”

The DOJ’s Kerri Kupec confirmed that the department is “deploying federal assets, including from the FBI and US Marshals, to assist in the response to the riots and unrest”:

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