While some killers are able to walk free without being arrested or charged, protesters and those feeding them are often immediately arrested. Protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin continue following the brutal police shooting of unarmed Jacob Blake, a Black man from Wisconsin who is now partially paralyzed as a result. Following the killing of two men during a demonstration demanding justice for Blake, Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree intentional homicide and five other accounts for allegedly open firing on protesters. While Rittenhouse was not immediately arrested, nine people who distributed food to protesters were arrested by Kenosha police on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
According to the director of the nonprofit kitchen serving the food, Riot Kitchen, police mistakenly arrested volunteers for disorderly conduct. "We’re not there to stir up anything," Jennifer Scheurle told NBC News. "We just want to feed people. We support protesters of any kind." According to Scheurle, all the arrested volunteers were released from jail by Friday with a bail of about $150 each, paid with the help of donations. Scheurle added that cell phones and other possessions taken from volunteers during the arrests were not yet returned in addition to the organization’s vehicles still in impound Saturday.
A clip of the arrest was posted on the organization’s Twitter account in which two unmarked vehicles can be seen stopping a minivan outside of a gas station. An officer is depicted smashing a window with a baton to unlock doors, several others draw their guns and order passengers to get out.
The group of volunteers was allegedly on their way to Washington D.C., to attend a march, but changed their plans following the Blake shooting, The Seattle Times reported. Scheurle said the group intended to feed protesters and stopped at a gas station to get fuel for their generators that are used for cooking, camping, and food production.
In a statement to Eater Seattle on Aug. 27, a day following the arrest, Riot Kitchen said:
“Riot Kitchen has been busy trying to free our volunteer crew members in Kenosha, Wisconsin after a violent arrest at a gas station where our people refueled vehicles and got gas for our generator. We reject all claims that our crew was there to incite violence or build explosives — our nonprofit organization has always been and will always be about feeding people. Our crew was arrested by officers who did not identify themselves with drawn guns. Our volunteers were thrown into holding cells and kept for hours without water or blankets and denied phone calls to their loved ones. Right now, we are focused on getting everyone out safe.”
But while Scheurle expressed the humanity the group intended to demonstrate, the Kenosha Police Department claimed officers acted on a tip of “suspicious vehicles with out-of-state plates.” According to a statement issued on the department’s Twitter account, officers assumed the volunteers were “preparing for criminal activity related to the civil unrest” after they saw them fueling their fuel cans. According to the department, officers allegedly found helmets, gas masks, protective vests, illegal fireworks, and “suspected controlled substances” in three vehicles. Kenosha police even defended their forced entry by claiming the decision was made after a minivan driver “attempted to drive away.”
According to NBC News, Police Chief Daniel Miskinis only generally spoke of the incident emphasizing the out-state-license plates that caused suspicion and the masks, he called “shields” found in the vehicles. "Protective gear found in the bus is just that—protection for working in large crowds, masks for COVID protection," Riot Kitchen said in a statement.
Scheurle noted that the minivan driver in question was not trying to flee but was exiting the gas station at the time police arrived. She added that while she doubted illegal substances were found, “residual” marijuana could be present because it is legal in the nonprofits base state of Washington. Officers also mentioned a fireworks allegation that Scheurle told NBC News she was surprised to hear, saying, "We've never had fireworks anywhere."
Riot Kitchen was founded following the brutal police killing of George Floyd, an incident which sparked worldwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice. Protests in Kenosha have been occurring for over a week after the disturbing shooting of 29-year-old Blake.
Civil Rights organizations like the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) are calling for the officers involved in the incident to resign in addition to investigations into police response towards protesters.
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