Evers declares state of emergency

The Brillion News

MADISON - After two nights of rioting and violence after Kenosha Police shot a black man during a domestic dispute, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers declared a state of emergency and doubled the number of National Guard troops ordered to keep the peace in the southeast Wisconsin city of 100,000.

Executive Order #86 proclaims a state of emergency in Wisconsin, directs state agencies to continue assisting the state response, and calls to state active duty additional elements of the Wisconsin National Guard to support first responders and protect critical infrastructure and cultural institutions.

The state of emergency declaration comes as earlier today Evers released a statement regarding protests in Wisconsin last night.

“The ability to exercise First Amendment rights is a critically important part of our democracy and the pursuit of justice. But there remains a line between peaceful assembly and what we saw last night that put individuals, families, and businesses in danger," Evers said in a written, prepared statement. "We cannot allow the cycle of systemic racism and injustice to continue. We also cannot continue going down this path of damage and destruction."

State troopers from around Wisconsin were also dispatched to Kenosha after midnight on the early morning of August 25.

The Evers order came as two state lawmakers from the Kenosha area begged for help.

"The city is burning. Residents are heartbroken, terrified for their lives and livelihoods and city. They are literally begging and crying for help. Cornerstones of Kenosha, like the Danish Brotherhood, and small businesses have been destroyed, leaving hundreds of people unemployed. Rioters have tried to destroy irreplaceable historic buildings like the Simmons Library and Courthouse. The scars of this week cannot heal until the violence stops. The rioting must end," said State Senator Van Wyngaard and State Rep. Samantha Kerkman. "Please bring to bear all available and necessary state and federal law enforcement support to stop the physical and psychological damage that is being inflicted upon our community."

Both Kerkman and Wyngaard are Republicans.