Kyle Rittenhouse

Activists Focus on Healing in Kenosha Following Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict

The verdict has prompted people to craft a plan of action, which includes an economic boycott aimed at those who supported Rittenhouse.

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Two days after Kyle Rittenhouse was found not guilty of all charges related to killing two men and wounding a third during unrest in Kenosha, dozens gathered near the courthouse where the verdict was read and announced a plan of action - one that includes more than marching.

Several organizations joined forces Sunday, retracing the route the then 17-year-old took the night of Aug. 25, when Rittenhouse said he acted in self-defense, fatally shooting Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26. Gaige Grosskreutz, 27, was also shot and survived his injuries.

The city experienced days of unrest and protests following the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, who was shot seven times by a police officer.

Following the verdict Friday, Blake's brother, Justin Blake, called it a "sad day for justice in America."

"We’re going to keep marching, we’re going to keep rallying," he said Sunday.

The verdict has prompted people to craft a plan of action for the days ahead, which includes an economic boycott aimed at those who supported Rittenhouse.

Following Kyle Rittenhouse being acquitted of all five charges in his murder trial, protesters marched along Chicago streets Friday night. NBC 5's Natalie Martinez reports.

"This a new day, those who financed this defense you just awakened a giant, you just awakened the conscious of people and won’t take no for an answer," said Bishop Tavis Grant, national field director with the Rainbow Push Coalition.

"And we will not accept this verdict," he added. "We have alternatives. And we’re going to use peace, protest and civil disobedience."

A second part of the plan includes "Reimagine Kenosha" - a hyper-local effort focused on healing in the community.

Activists say the campaign is a continuation of the uprising the city has seen over the past 15 months.

"We need to rapidly address and live up to our values, we need reimagine what our community looks like after this and then achieve this reimagining of Kenosha," one activist said.

Kyle Rittenhouse received a not guilty verdict Friday on all counts in his murder trial, but what's next for the Illinois teen? NBC 5's Phil Rogers reports.

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. planned to attend the rally, but the Rainbow Push Coalition said he was speaking with congressional leaders, pleading for the U.S. Department of Justice to open a review of the Rittenhouse case.

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