威斯康辛州州长托尼·埃维斯“恭敬地”要求唐纳德·特朗普总统重新考虑本周访问基诺沙一事,因为警方枪击事件引发了内乱雅各布·布莱克,说他担心他的出现“只会阻碍我们的治疗。”
据媒体报道,白宫副新闻秘书贾德迪尔(Judd Deere)周六在空军一号上告诉记者,特朗普计划周二前往该市会见执法人员,调查破坏性抗议活动造成的损失。
作为回应,民主党州长周日写了一封信,敦促总统取消此行。
Evers写道:“我和其他社区领袖都很关心你们的到来对克诺沙和我们州的意义。”“我担心你的出现只会阻碍我们的治疗。我担心你的出席只会拖延我们克服分歧和共同前进的工作。”
2020年8月30日,在威斯康星州的克诺沙,斯坦·伊斯利(中)在克诺沙县法院前对一群举行蓝色集会的示威者讲话。雅各布·布莱克在与一名警察的遭遇中被近距离击中背部,随后几天的骚乱和示威过后,这座城市正在恢复中,这段视频被拍摄了下来。
在密尔沃基以南约40英里的基诺沙,针对警察射杀29岁黑人布莱克的抗议活动每晚都在发生。8月23日的事件被手机视频捕捉到,导致布莱克瘫痪。
周二,抗议演变成了致命事件,一名据称是17岁的枪手射杀了三名抗议者杀死了其中两个人。
数百名国民警卫队成员在内乱中被部署到克诺沙紧急状态宵禁已经延长到星期二。
埃维斯在信中表示,他担心总统的访问会转移该市恢复工作的资源,“而此时,我们必须继续把重点放在保障基诺沙人民的安全和支持社区的反应上,这一点至关重要。”
2020年8月30日,在美国威斯康星州克诺沙,黑人雅各布·布莱克被警察开枪打死一周后,在执法人员的支持者组织的蓝色生命事件集会上,国民警卫队人员在克诺沙县法院外卸下一辆满载士兵的装甲车。
这封信来自波特兰市长泰德·惠勒呼吁特朗普在俄勒冈市抗议期间发生致命枪击事件后,“支持我们,否则就滚蛋。”
雅各布·布莱克的叔叔贾斯汀·布莱克告诉美国广播公司新闻,他认为特朗普对他侄子的遭遇和全国的暴力事件负有部分责任。
“当白宫的人在不断地鼓吹暴力时,他们怎么能不助长暴力呢?”他说。
当被问及特朗普计划于周二访问基诺沙时,贾斯汀·布莱克(Justin Blake)表示,他的家人还没有收到总统的消息,但他们不想“与他有任何瓜葛。”
他说:“我们认为他煽动了这场暴力。”
在他的总统候选人所做的提名演讲在上周的共和党全国代表大会上,特朗普将选举描绘成无法无天与法律和秩序之间的生死抉择列出的基诺沙是遭受“暴乱、抢劫、纵火和暴力”的“民主党控制的城市”之一
他的挑战者,前副总统乔·拜登,周日收费总统“肆无忌惮地鼓励暴力”和“在我们的社会中煽动仇恨和分裂的火焰。”
埃维斯在信中指出,周一,威斯康辛州的立法机构将采纳一项警务问责制和透明度改革方案。他在给特朗普的信中写道:“我欢迎你支持这些举措。”
Wisconsin governor asks Trump to call off trip to Kenosha
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers "respectfully" asked that President Donald Trump reconsider visiting Kenosha this week amid civil unrest over the police shooting ofJacob Blake, saying he was concerned his presence would "only hinder our healing."
White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday that Trump planned to travel to the city on Tuesday to meet with law enforcement and survey damage from destructive protests, according to pool reports.
In response, the Democratic governor penned a letter Sunday urging the president to call off the trip.
"I, along with other community leaders who have reached out, are concerned about what your presence will mean for Kenosha and our state," Evers wrote. "I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing. I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."
Stan Easley (C) speaks to a group of demonstrators holding a Back the Blue Rally in front of the Kenosha County Courthouse on August 30, 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The city is recovering from several days of unrest and demonstrations after Jacob Blake was shot several times at close range in the back during an encounter with a police officer, which was caught on video.
Protests have occurred nightly in Kenosha, some 40 miles south of Milwaukee, over the police shooting of Blake, a 29-year-old Black man. The Aug. 23 incident, which was captured on cellphone video, has left Blake paralyzed.
On Tuesday, protests turned deadly, when an alleged 17-year-old gunmanshot three protesters, killing two of them.
Hundreds of members of the National Guard have been deployed to Kenosha amid the civil unrest, and astate-of-emergency curfewhas been extended through Tuesday.
In his letter, Evers expressed concern that a visit from the president would redirect resources from the city's recovery "at a time when it is critical that we continue to remain focused on keeping the people of Kenosha safe and supporting the community's response."
National Guard officers unload an armoured vehicle filled with soldiers outside of the Kenosha County Courthouse during a Blue Lives Matter rally organized by supporters of law enforcement officers, a week after Black man Jacob Blake was shot several times by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin, U.S., August 30, 2020.
The letter comes as Portland Mayor Ted Wheelercalled for Trumpto "support us, or stay the hell out of the way," following a deadly shooting during protests in the Oregon city.
Jacob Blake's uncle, Justin Blake, told ABC News he thinks Trump is partially responsible for what happened to his nephew and for the violence across the country.
"How could they not be feeding on violence when the man in the White House is steadily drumming it up?" he said.
When asked about Trump's planned visit to Kenosha on Tuesday, Justin Blake said that his family has not heard from the president, but they don't want "anything to do with him."
"We believe he incited this violence," he said.
In hisacceptance speechduring the Republican National Convention last week, Trump painted the election as an existential choice between lawlessness and law and order, andlistedKenosha as one of the "Democrat-run cities" suffering from "rioting, looting, arson and violence."
His challenger, former Vice President Joe Biden,charged Sundaythat the president is "recklessly encouraging violence" and "fanning the flames of hate and division in our society."
In his letter, Evers noted that on Monday, the Wisconsin legislature will take up a policing accountability and transparency reform package. "I would welcome your support of these initiatives," he wrote to Trump.