The curfew ended Wednesday, the mayor announced. The civil rights lawsuit filed Tuesday comes after protesters took to Kenosha's streets decrying the police shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this month. A lawyer for Kenosha County and the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department called the lawsuit "entirely without merit.""The Kenosha County Sheriff's Department has worked tirelessly to bring order back to the community and has been careful to protect the rights of all citizens throughout that process," attorney Sam Hall said, explaining he would seek immediate dismissal.The four protesters named in the suit allege their constitutional rights, including their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble, were violated when they were arrested in Kenosha. Over nine days, more than 150 peaceful protesters were arrested for violating curfew, but not a single pro-police demonstrator was arrested, the lawsuit alleges. It also claims that starting the curfew so early in the evening, at 7 p.m., "leaves no room for any free expression."The plaintiffs demand a temporary restraining order against the city and Kenosha County and monetary damages. They also want the curfew ruled unconstitutional, according to the complaint.City and county police "have used the curfew ordinance to silence the voices of those who peacefully demonstrate against police brutality while also allowing pro-police activists and militias to roam the streets without fear of arrest," plaintiffs' attorney Kim Motley said.Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said earlier this week he would relax the curfew Wednesday. Instead, without mentioning the lawsuit, he announced Wednesday that after consulting with law enforcement, he determined the curfew was no longer necessary as protests over the last several nights "have been relatively peaceful."Two videos are mentioned in the complaint. In one, police are seen thanking "militia members," telling them, "Hey, thank you guys again" and "We appreciate you guys; we really do," according to the complaint.The police and sheriff's deputies "can be heard providing support and supplies to the militia members while simultaneously enforcing the curfew againstRead More – Source
The curfew ended Wednesday, the mayor announced. The civil rights lawsuit filed Tuesday comes after protesters took to Kenosha's streets decrying the police shooting of Jacob Blake earlier this month. A lawyer for Kenosha County and the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department called the lawsuit "entirely without merit.""The Kenosha County Sheriff's Department has worked tirelessly to bring order back to the community and has been careful to protect the rights of all citizens throughout that process," attorney Sam Hall said, explaining he would seek immediate dismissal.The four protesters named in the suit allege their constitutional rights, including their First Amendment right to peaceably assemble, were violated when they were arrested in Kenosha. Over nine days, more than 150 peaceful protesters were arrested for violating curfew, but not a single pro-police demonstrator was arrested, the lawsuit alleges. It also claims that starting the curfew so early in the evening, at 7 p.m., "leaves no room for any free expression."The plaintiffs demand a temporary restraining order against the city and Kenosha County and monetary damages. They also want the curfew ruled unconstitutional, according to the complaint.City and county police "have used the curfew ordinance to silence the voices of those who peacefully demonstrate against police brutality while also allowing pro-police activists and militias to roam the streets without fear of arrest," plaintiffs' attorney Kim Motley said.Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian said earlier this week he would relax the curfew Wednesday. Instead, without mentioning the lawsuit, he announced Wednesday that after consulting with law enforcement, he determined the curfew was no longer necessary as protests over the last several nights "have been relatively peaceful."Two videos are mentioned in the complaint. In one, police are seen thanking "militia members," telling them, "Hey, thank you guys again" and "We appreciate you guys; we really do," according to the complaint.The police and sheriff's deputies "can be heard providing support and supplies to the militia members while simultaneously enforcing the curfew againstRead More – Source
