A large group of activists took to the streets of New York to voice outrage over the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse after a weeks-long murder trial, at various points shutting down both the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges.
The crowd, reportedly numbering in the hundreds, began its protest march from Brooklyn’s Barclays Center and continued into Manhattan, shutting down a pair of bridges as they made their way across the borough.
Activists were filmed as they hoisted signs and banners, also chanting a number of anti-police slogans during the rally, among the most hostile of which included “Every city, every town, burn the precinct to the ground!”
#BlackLivesMatter Activists take to the streets of Brooklyn NY in response of the #KyleRittenhouseTrial and chant " EVERY CITY EVERY TOWN BURN THE PRECINCT TO THE GROUND "#NYPD #NYC pic.twitter.com/WyyUJcjR0B
— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) November 20, 2021
As they made their way across the Brooklyn Bridge, police reportedly kept a safe distance from the protesters, trailing behind in vehicles. It is unclear whether any arrests were made, though it appears the demonstration remained largely peaceful throughout.
Solidarity with Kenosha, protest march from Barclays Center in Brooklyn to Foley Square in Manhattan, New York City, 9:56pm, Friday, November 19, 2021. 1st tweet is on Brooklyn Bridge.
Instagram: @ForOurLiberation#Kenosha #nyc nyc
THREAD
1/ pic.twitter.com/dKleynRTXe— DataInput (@datainput) November 20, 2021
2/
Police stayed a distance behind marchers (100-200 feet?) pic.twitter.com/7JGdRqDSD0— DataInput (@datainput) November 20, 2021
A larger crowd also took to the nearby Manhattan Bridge, clogging traffic lanes as they proceeded further into the city.
#BlackLivesMatter take over Manhattan Streets and chant " IF WE DON'T GET IT BURN IT DOWN " IN response of the #KyleRittenhouse case. They demand justice #NoJusticeNoPeace #NYC pic.twitter.com/yCgpFm2HJH
— Leeroy Johnson (@LeeroyPress) November 20, 2021
Rittenhouse, now 18, was charged with a number of serious counts, including first-degree murder, after fatally shooting two men and wounding a third during protests and rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin last year. He was acquitted of all charges on Friday, after days of deliberations by the jury, enraging the teen’s detractors, who insist Rittenhouse showed up to Kenosha looking for trouble. His defense team argued that he fired his weapon to protect his own life, noting that all of the people Rittenhouse harmed were actively chasing him at the time they were shot.
