Tension racks troubled city as Trump’s visit draws near

Citizens fret division will rise as city officials urge president to come.

KENOSHA, WIS. — Some residents in Kenosha fear a planned visit by President Donald Trump after unrest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake may stir more emotions and cause more violence and destruction in the divided southeastern Wisconsin city after several days of peace.

Trump was scheduled to tour the damage today and meet with law enforcement as demonstrators call for the officer who shot Blake to be fired and face attempted murder charges. Trump’s visit comes a week after authorities say a 17-year-old from northern Illinois shot and killed two protesters.

The tension began Aug. 23 after a video showed a Kenosha police officer shooting Blake, a Black man, in the back while responding to a call about a domestic dispute. All last week, Black Lives Matter protesters held events to call for changes to policing, and Democratic Gov. Tony Evers called a special session of the Legislature for Monday to take up a host of police reform measures. But Republicans don’t plan to take immediate action.

Volunteers and businesses on Sunday worked to clean up from fires and vandalism that destroyed buildings and prompted surviving restaurants, grocery stores, and barbershops to board up.

Kenosha police said Sunday that they had arrested 175 people since the protests began in the bedroom community between Chicago and Milwaukee. Of those, 102 were from outside Kenosha, including 44 different cities. Many arrests were for curfew violations, and included possible charges for burglary, possession of illegal drugs and carrying concealed weapons without a permit, officials said. More than 20 firearms had been seized.

Family members say Blake, 29, is paralyzed, and a lawyer said most of his colon and small intestines were removed. His family led a large peaceful protest Saturday, just before Trump announced his plans to visit. On Sunday, Evers sent Trump a letter urging him not to come, saying the visit “will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together.”

But Kenosha County Board supervisors also wrote to Trump, urging him not to cancel.

“Kenoshans are hurting and looking for leadership, and your leadership in this time of crisis is greatly appreciated by those devastated by the violence in Kenosha,” the letter from seven supervisors said.

Trump showed no signs of backing down, tweeting about the unrest in Kenosha and saying, “I will see you on Tuesday!”