KENOSHA, Wisconsin — A trio of armed residents protected a small business in Kenosha, Wisconsin, as rioters and looters lit multiple buildings on fire Monday evening.
Unrest erupted in the city, home to about 100,000 people, Sunday after video footage showed a police officer shooting a black man. An officer is seen in the video firing several shots and hitting Jacob Blake in the back as he opened his car door. Blake’s children were reportedly watching from the car, according to a family attorney.
The men guarding the business faced harassment from members of the crowd for protecting it Monday evening. They responded by criticizing the destruction of Kenosha, as multiple businesses and structures were looted and engulfed in flames. (RELATED: Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers Activates National Guard In Kenosha To Counter Riots)
“We’re not trying to protect the government,” one man told a Daily Caller reporter. “You want to tear down those lamp shades, go for it, I guess, it’s not my speed, but – it’s the government that fucked with you guys. It’s not the civilians, these guys didn’t do anything to you, right? So we don’t want to hurt these people.”
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The man explained that he did not own the business.
“We’re out here trying to protect residents, we’re trying to protect the innocent people and we’re trying to protect the businesses of the citizens out here,” he said as members of the crowd yelled and accused them of not being on their side.
A second man guarding the business yelled back at the crowd and said he was on their side.
“You can’t burn down your local businesses!” he yelled.
“The owner of this business is probably out here with them. They’re destroying their own neighborhood! Go fuck up the government that just killed your man … I’m just a guy. I’m just a fucking guy,” the second man added.