#Kenosha protesters file suit claiming curfew protects pro-cop activists

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Police gather in front of the Kenosha County Court House on August 24.
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Kenosha, Wis., protesters are suing the city, claiming cops there are selectively arresting “peaceful” demonstrators while protecting pro-cop activists and militias and allowing them to “roam the streets without fear of arrest,” according to court papers.

The complaint, filed Tuesday in Wisconsin federal court, accuses Kenosha police of unevenly enforcing the citywide curfew imposed following the Aug. 23 police shooting of Jacob Blake.

More than 150 “peaceful protesters” have been busted for violating the 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew — though “not a single pro-police demonstrator” has been arrested, the suit claimed.

“In Kenosha, there are two sets of laws – one that applies to those who protest police brutality and racism, and another for those who support the police,” said the suit, brought by four protesters against the City of Kenosha and Kenosha County.

“Plaintiffs bring this action to protect their right and the rights of others to protest police brutality free of retaliation and free from fear that they will be arrested solely on the basis of the content of their message.”

The suit accuses Kenosha police of “coordinating” with pro-police activists, citing videos that allegedly show cops thanking militia members for their support and speaking with Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old vigilante charged with fatally shooting two protesters.

The plaintiffs, who are seeking class-action status to represent other protesters who’ve been arrested, are calling for an injunction on the curfew and for a judge to declare it unconstitutional.

The suit was first reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Reps for the city of Kenosha and Kenosha County didn’t immediately return messages.