Kenosha Officials Lift Curfew, Citing ‘Relatively Peaceful’ Recent Protests

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Hundreds march at a rally for Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis. on Saturday. Officials lifted the nightly curfew on Wednesday, saying recent protests had been relatively peaceful.

Morry Gash/AP

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Morry Gash/AP

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The demonstrations that followed were largely peaceful.

On Tuesday, four people who were arrested during last week’s demonstrations sued the city and the county in federal court, claiming the curfew was enforced in a discriminatory manner and violated their First Amendment rights.

The lawsuit states that the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department arrested more than 150 peaceful protesters but no pro-police demonstrators over the course of nine days, and alleges there are «two sets of laws being applied depending on protesters’ stance towards the police.

It cites videos that circulated on social media showing law enforcement allowing armed people to remain on the streets as authorities were actively clearing out protesters, and even thanking and giving them water, on the night of Aug. 25.

A lawyer representing Kenosha County and the sheriff’s department told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the county would seek the dismissal of the lawsuit, which he called «entirely without merit.

Antaramian, Kenosha’s mayor, did not mention the lawsuit in his statement lifting the curfew on Wednesday. He did say he is hopeful there will be no need to reinstate it in the near future.

President Trump visited Kenosha on Tuesday, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has announced plans to visit on Thursday.