- President
Donald Trump is set to visitKenosha , the epicenter of Jacob Blake protests, on Tuesday to meet with law enforcement and "survey damage from recent riots." - But organizers and protesters told Insider they're concerned his appearance in their city may stir the pot and lead to more chaos.
- "We think Trump is here to distract away from the healing that Kenosha needs to do, to take advantage of the opportunity for his political gain, and use this as an opportunity to divide the country even further," Dwight Williamson Jr., project coordinator for Black Lives Matter Milwaukee, told Insider.
President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Kenosha,
—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2020
Days ahead of the visit, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers sent a letter to Trump on Sunday requesting that the president "reconsider" his visit to Kenosha.
"I am concerned your presence will only hinder our healing," Evers wrote in the letter. "I am concerned your presence will only delay our work to overcome division and move forward together."
Since 29-year-old Blake was shot on August 23, Kenosha has erupted into protests and property damage as well as fatal shootings. The city is under a state of emergency curfew and over 1,000 National Guard soldiers were in Kenosha as of Friday, according to Reuters.
The president defended one of those shootings, which involved 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse, who is accused of killing two people at a protest in Kenosha.
Meanwhile, Trump and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden have laid out opposing perspectives on racial injustice in the aftermath of the police shooting of Blake.
Trump has reiterated his "law and order" stance, praising law enforcement, while Biden called for Trump to acknowledge racial injustice, as he condemned violence perpetrated by those on the "on the left or the right."
During a campaign speech on Monday, Biden slammed the president's reactions to the Blake protests, saying "Trump adds fuel to every fire because he refuses to even acknowledge that there's a racial justice problem in America because he won't stand up to any form of violence."
Advocates in Kenosha said that Trump's visit could cause division. Dwight Williamson Jr., a project coordinator for Black Lives Matter Milwaukee who is documenting the impact and aftermath of Blake's shooting from Kenosha, told Insider Trump's visit is a distraction.
"We think Trump is here to distract away from the healing that Kenosha needs to do, to take advantage of the opportunity for his political gain, and use this as an opportunity to divide the country even further," Williamson Jr. said.
Ariana Ervin of Kenosha Activism, a non-profit organization that formed following the death of George Floyd in May, said Trump's visit could cause some backlash and stir the pot.
"There's still things going on and with him coming I don't think that's going to help anything," Erin told Insider.
Kenosha residents were urged not to protest Trump's visit, but instead attend local events including a Justice for Jacob Community gathering near the site where Blake was shot. The event, organized by Blake's family, will include a "community clean-up, healing circle, voter registration booth as well as food, music, free haircuts and other services provided by local businesses," according to the event's Facebook page.
—Justice For Jacob (@JusticeForJake) September 1, 2020
"This community celebration will highlight the contrast between President Trump's divisive and inflammatory statements and the nonviolent demonstrations held by the Blake family," the event page said.
"We're asking people not to be violent, not the destroy our community," Blake's uncle, Justin Blake, told reporters in a news conference during the event. "But in the same breath, we are asking to stand with the Blake family."