As Republicans on Monday hit the leaders of major cities helmed by Democrats for their handling of the unrest in the US this summer, thousands took to the streets following the shooting of Jacob Blake.
Blake was shot seven times by Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officers on Sunday. Video showed Blake walking into a car when he was shot from behind. As many key details from Sunday’s incident are still not confirmed, Kenosha Police announced that two of the officers involved have been placed on leave.
The incident prompted further unrest in a number of US cities on Monday, calling for justice. Supporters of the Black Lives Matter movement also are calling for the arrest of the officers involved in Blake’s shooting.
Meanwhile, Republicans tried to pin the unrest and protests that turned violent on Democrats during Monday's portion of the Republican National Convention. The unrest ramped up following the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day. While most of the largest US cities are run by Democrats, unrest has also played out in large cities run by Republicans, including Fort Worth and Jacksonville.
To illustrate their point, Republicans called on St. Louis attorneys Mark and Patricia McCloskey, who were criminally charged after video shared on social media indicated that the McCloskeys pointed guns at Black Lives Matter protesters in their gated community.
"Whether it's the defunding of police, ending cash bails so criminals can be released back out on the streets the same day to riot again, or encouraging anarchy and chaos on our streets, it seems as if the Democrats no longer view the government's job as protecting honest citizens from criminals, but rather protecting criminals from honest citizens,” Mark McCloskey said. “Not a single person in the out of control mob you saw at our house was charged with a crime. But you know who was? We were. They actually charged us with felonies for daring to defend our home."
The theme continued by other GOP speakers.
“Rioters must not be allowed to destroy our cities,” Kimberly Guilfoyle, National Chair, Trump Victory Finance Committee, said.
Some speakers during the Republican Convention claimed that Democrats are supportive of defunding the police. While some members of the Black Lives Matter protest have embraced a “defund the police” movement, Democratic president candidate Joe Biden said he does not support defunding the police.