On the evening of Friday, May 30, Gov. Evers announced that the Wisconsin National Guard has been authorized to help Milwaukee’s law enforcement respond to “agitators” that have disrupted the peaceful protests that afternoon. Early Saturday morning, a Milwaukee police officer suffered from a non-fatal gunshot wound in the Harambee neighborhood after a prior demonstration. Mayor Tom Barrett has announced a 9 p.m. curfew in the city after the violence and a slew of overnight lootings. Fifty arrests were made from Friday night to Saturday morning.
One hundred and twenty-five members of the Wisconsin National Guard have been authorized to be “immediately utilized by local law enforcement.” These members are to only be used to support law enforcement in protecting “critical infrastructure, such as utilities and fire stations, and cultural institutions necessary for the wellbeing of the community.” National Guard members will not be allowed to impede on those participating in the peaceful protest or interfere with reporting media.
“It is critical that people are able to peacefully express their anger and frustration about systemic racism and injustice, in Milwaukee, the State of Wisconsin, and our Nation,” said Evers, Barrett and County Executive David Crowley in a statement. “This limited authorization of citizen soldiers from the Wisconsin National Guard will help protect people who are exercising their First Amendment rights and ensure the safety of the public.”
|
|
A caravan of peaceful protestors has moved through Milwaukee’s Downtown, South Side and North Side since one o’clock today. Marchers are calling for an end to police brutality and justice for George Floyd, a black man who died in an altercation with police officers in Minneapolis on Monday.
There has been no current mention for how long the curfew would extend for, or how long National Guard members will stay in the city.
For more of our coverage of the protests occurring across Milwaukee, click here.
