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| A riot was declared in Portland, Oregon, as demonstrators smashed windows and threatened to burn down the Justice Center.The verdict has prompted strong reactions from both sides. (Photo by= Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] There have been calls for calm in the US after a teenager who shot dead two people during racial unrest last year was cleared of all charges. BBC said that Kyle Rittenhouse, 18, argued he acted in self-defense when he shot the men and injured a third in Wisconsin.
The verdict on Friday, which followed a high-profile trial that divided the US, sparked protests in some cities. But politicians, including President Joe Biden, and families of the victims have urged restraint. "What we need right now is justice, not more violence," lawyers for the family of Gaige Grosskreutz, who was shot and injured by Mr. Rittenhouse, said in a statement. Despite the calls for calm, a riot was declared by police in the city of Portland, Oregon, on Friday evening as some 200 people broke windows and threw objects.
There were also protests in Chicago and New York, but they were relatively low-key compared to the widespread civil unrest that the US had seen previously. Derrick Johnson, the president of the civil rights organization NAACP, tweeted that the verdict "is a reminder of the treacherous role that white supremacy and privilege play within our justice system". Prominent civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton said the "outrageous and dangerous" verdict will encourage vigilantes to use violence to assert their power.
