A young man is charged with murder for the deaths of two people who were shot in anti-racist protests last year.
A delicate trial began this Monday in the northern United States, where a young white man is accused of murder for the deaths of two people who he shot in the framework of the large anti-racist demonstrations in the summer of 2020.
Then 17 years old, Kyle Rittenhouse joined gunmen who called themselves “self-defense groups” and were eager to protect the Wisconsin town of Kenosha, rocked by anti-racism protests after a police shooting that left a black man paralyzed. .
Originally from the neighboring state of Illinois and equipped with a semi-automatic rifle, Rittenhouse opened fire under confusing circumstances, killing two men and wounding a third. All the victims are also white.
The young man was arrested shortly after and indicted for the deaths, but was later released on bail of two million dollars. He faces the possibility of a life sentence.
His judgment reflects the division in American society over firearms and the Black Lives Matter movement for the rights of African Americans.
The process began on Monday morning with the selection of 12 jurors and 8 substitutes, and should last between two and three weeks.
This jury must be “fair and impartial” to reach “a rational decision” in this “so political” matter that has been so followed by the media in the country, said Judge Bruce Schroeder, who is presiding over the process.
The court, located in the center of the city, where hundreds of protesters gathered for several days last year, is protected by important security measures.
In the debates, prosecutors are sure to portray Rittenhouse as a right-wing extremist who came to Kenosha to confront anti-racist protesters.
While his lawyers will uphold the right to self-defense, ensuring that he fired to protect himself from rioters who persecuted him.
“They would have killed him”
On August 23, 2020, Kenosha rose in protest as white police officers seriously wounded a young black man, Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back during an arrest attempt.
On the third night of the demonstrations, Rittenhouse, who had posted several messages of support for the police on the internet, traveled thirty kilometers to “patrol” the city.
Several videos show his movements.
In one of them, it appears that the young man flees just before another man falls to the ground with a gunshot wound to his head.
In another, he is seen being chased by a small group of protesters. Then he falls down and points his gun at them. And the sound of gunshots is clearly heard.
“I guess he was in big trouble” after protesters “violently attacked him,” then-President Donald Trump said during a visit to Kenosha in September last year. “They probably would have killed him.”
Judge Schroeder, a seasoned magistrate, has nevertheless drawn criticism by refusing to allow prosecutors to refer to those killed or injured by Rittenhouse as “victims,” while authorizing the defendant’s attorneys to refer to them as “rioters. “,” Looters “or” arsonists “if they can prove that they were involved in such acts. (I)
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