Protesters angry that Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of all criminal charges against him gathered in Chicago on Saturday and demanded a communist revolution.
What happened?
Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition led the protest in downtown Chicago. Jackson called the Rittenhouse verdict a "major blow against justice and open season by the violence of right-wing military," .
The protesters reportedly demanded the Justice Department intervene and investigate the Rittenhouse trial because the jury was "mostly white." However, data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that nearly 80% of Kenosha residents are, in fact, white.
Video taken from the rally showed demonstrators parading down Chicago streets with a large sign that read, "Rittenhouse—Guilty! Guilty! Guilty! No Facist USA. Organize Now For Real Revolution." Another sign read, "End The Trump Era. Stop White Supremacy." The crowd was chanting, "If we don't get it— shut it down!" and "No Justice, No Peace!"
Content Warning: Strong language:
At one point during demonstrations, protesters began openly calling for a communist revolution.
"The only solution is communist revolution! The only solution is communist revolution! The only solution is communist revolution!" the crowd chanted. "That's right! We need communism. That's what we need. We need that! We need that, sister, we need that very much!"
Other protesters who spoke to local media voiced frustrations using trite talking points.
"I'm still very, very disappointed. Just a travesty of justice. The illegal gun possession, the Kenosha police basically deputizing him. All of it is based in racism," one protester .
Another protester told the same outlet the Rittenhouse verdict represents "a green light for more white supremacy vigilante terror."
Can the DOJ do anything?
Despite demands for DOJ intervention into the decision by 12 of Rittenhouse's peers to conclude he acted in self-defense, thereby making him not guilty of committing murder, it remains unclear what the Justice Department could do, if anything at all.
Rittenhouse was never charged with a federal crime, nor did the murder accusations against Rittenhouse
More ccused of a hate crime and because he is not a member of law enforcement, he cannot be charged with depriving anyone of their civil rights as a federal agent. Rittenhouse was also not accused of a robbery on federal property or involving a federal business.
Meanwhile, the Justice Department's explains on its own website the agency cannot intervene in matters of state law.
"The Department of Justice has no authority to intervene in matters of state law. The Department of Justice can assume jurisdiction only when there has been a violation of federal law," the DOJ website .
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