TAMPA, Fla. — Protests over the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse continue this weekend throughout the country, including here in Tampa Bay.
Rittenhouse shot three men, killing two of them, last year during a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His legal team argued it was over self-defense.
A group of more than 20 people gathered at the intersection of Hillsborough Avenue and North 22nd Street to protest Rittenhouse's acquittal. Another protest took place in St. Petersburg on Saturday.
Demonstrators argue the verdict shows how broken the criminal justice system is. Protesters included members from the Tampa Bay Community Action Committee and Tampa Bay Students for a Democratic Society.
"Hearing that not guilty verdict did not come as a shock but was more so a reminder that there's work that has to be done," Gareth Dawkins said.
Demonstrators also gathered to protest police brutality after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. in 2020, and in addition, the Feb. 2020 death of Ahmaud Arbery. Three men have been charged with murder in his death. A jury could reach a verdict before Thanksgiving this week.