A jury finds Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty of all charges in last year’s Kenosha shootings (Photo: screenshot of TV stream)
Nov. 19, 2021 By Allie Griffin
Queens officials largely condemned a jury’s “not guilty” verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial Friday.
Rittenhouse, who fatally shot two men and injured a third in Kenosha last year, was found not guilty on all charges including homicide after a jury deliberated for about 26 hours.
Rittenhouse, who was 17 years old at the time, shot the three victims on Aug. 25, 2020 amid protests against police shootings of Black men, such as Kenosha resident Jacob Blake. His lawyers claimed he acted in self-defense.
The case has been closely watched by Americans and has been highly divisive between the left and right.
Several Queens legislators took to Twitter and weighed in on the case Friday after learning of the jury’s verdict.
Council Member Francisco Moya was among many who said the criminal legal system is broken.
“What message are we sending when we have a justice system that fails to make people like Kyle Rittenhouse accountable for inciting violence and taking people’s lives?” Moya asked on Twitter. “It’s a broken justice system that further fuels white supremacy and privilege, and one that is far from justice.”
Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer shared Moya’s thoughts and also worried that the verdict sets a dangerous precedent regarding vigilantism.
“While sadly unsurprising, the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict lays bare the racial inequalities in America’s judicial system, while also setting a dangerous precedent that violent vigilantism is not only accepted, but legally justified,” Van Bramer said.
Council Member-elect Tiffany Cabán said the whole system reeks of “white supremacy.”
“The result is a reminder white supremacy isn’t the rot, it’s literally the whole damn foundation,” Cabán said.
She added that a guilty verdict wouldn’t have made everything magically better and just.
“And there’s so much pain in knowing a guilty verdict wouldn’t bring us closer to “justice” either,” Cabán said. “It sacrifices an individual to legitimize & prop up a system that’s killing us all.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shared a similar belief in a tweet she posted following the verdict.
“What we are witnessing is a system functioning as designed and protecting those it was designed for,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “My heart still breaks for the communities and families whose grief now compounds, and the countless others who will be denied and deprived in similar scenes across the country.”
State Sen. Michael Gianaris shared his thoughts on the verdict in just one line.
“Our criminal legal system is racist,” he tweeted.
Likewise, Rep. Grace Meng said the country must work towards “a more equitable America.”
“There is no justice in today’s verdict, or in how our system treats Black Americans every day,” Meng said. “I am standing in solidarity with the families of those killed and with everyone hurt by this miscarriage of justice.”
There is no justice in today’s verdict, or in how our system treats Black Americans every day. I am standing in solidarity with the families of those killed and with everyone hurt by this miscarriage of justice. We must work towards a more equitable America. https://t.co/jdbe7qch4v
— Grace Meng (@Grace4NY) November 19, 2021
Her colleague Rep. Gregory Meeks reminded people to remember the victims.
“Let us not forget that two people died unnecessarily, one injured, and their families are left behind with today’s judgment, but no recourse,” Meeks said.
He also criticized those on the far right who have made Rittenhouse out to hero.
“Rittenhouse was never the victim here – those making him out to be a hero are degenerates,” he said.
State Sen. Jessica Ramos, meanwhile, specifically criticized the judge who presided over the trial. Some people said he showed bias in favor of Rittenhouse and his supporters.
“The judge in Rittenhouse’s trial displayed shocking bias, but ask any public defender and they’ll tell you it was nothing out of the ordinary,” Ramos said in a tweet. “White supremacy is inherent in our legal system, and encouraged by judges who aren’t accountable to anyone.”
She also tweeted the phone number for the New York City Chapter of the National Lawyers Guild for anyone planning to protest the verdict.
If you intend to go out and exercise your right to protest in response, please be safe. Don’t go alone, tell someone where you are, and write the @NLGNYC phone number down: 212-679-6018
— Jessica Ramos (@jessicaramos) November 19, 2021
Council Member Robert Holden, meanwhile, criticized Mayor Bill de Blasio for condemning the jury’s verdict.
“Our lamest of ducks mayor apparently thinks he knows better than the jury in this case,” Holden tweeted. “This is no time for dangerous rhetoric that might stir up civil unrest in our city, just to try to help his quixotic run for governor.”
Our lamest of ducks mayor apparently thinks he knows better than the jury in this case. This is no time for dangerous rhetoric that might stir up civil unrest in our city, just to try to help his quixotic run for governor. https://t.co/QCaqUcWUZ7
— Robert Holden (@BobHoldenNYC) November 19, 2021
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57 Comments
Justice for Joseph Rosenbaum!
Right the convicted pedophile Rosenbaum needs justice
One less pedophile to worry about
Life is good !
I’m coordinating a candlelight vigil at Lou Lodati childrens park on Friday night for Rosenbaum
Get your own post name. Gardens Watcher is already taken.
Holding a vigil for a man who raped boys ? And including children in this “vigil “?
I saw a headline today, this is all you really need to know:
“Squad member Tlaib insists in emptying all federal prisons immediately”
Dont need to be a genius to know that progressives and the left want to see innocent people violently beaten and killed. And, um, oh yeah…. you arent allowed to defend yourselves
From the right leaning NY Post “Rashida Tlaib defends prison closures – but admits some criminals belong behind bars“ You obviously only read attention grabbing headlines and not the article. Lazy mind is a gullible mind.
Justice for Joseph Rosenbaum!!!
The call for justice for Rosenbaum should be supported by all fair minded people. Unfortunately he can only be killed once. Feel free to burn him in effigy if it gives you some solace.
Rittenhouse is white.
The men he shot in self-defense are white.
These politicians are making this case into something that it isn’t.
what did you expect from anti-american socialist progressive democrats. they exist only to divide us. they will never stop until we vote them out.
I cannot WAIT until the Supreme Court strikes down the gun carry law in this state. I’ll be first in line.
Hey Jimmy, Tiffany, Mikey and my favorite idiot Jessica the victims were white. How is that racist? You guys are irresponsible and shouldn’t be in political office.
To quote Jimmy “ While sadly unsurprising, the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict lays bare the racial inequalities in America’s judicial system,” This comment has absolutely nothing to with victims. Take a remedial reading class.
Caban, Gianaris and Cortez. The 3 great legal minds in our country. They are angry when decisions go against their beliefs.
According to this verdict, it is now legal to shoot people for their political leanings. People like Matt Gaetz fail to realize liberals have guns too. Violence begets violence.
The fact is that if Rittenhouse didn’t kill them, they would have killed him, plain and simple. No one should have been there in the first place, let alone with firearms.
Did the three of 5em have guns? I missed that.
Yes, “liberals” have guns too. Thats why they were shot by Rittenhouse when they pulled their guns on him
Nobody from Queens was a member of the Jury that heard everything. Therefore, nobody here is qualified to reply, and neither are Queens politicians, and neither are the media, and neither are ANYBODY.
I guess the system is broken when Chauvin only gets life in prison. I guess the system is broken when Justin Volpe gets 30 tears in prison I guess the system is broken when O.J Simpson is found not guilty of murder. I guess the system is broken when when people commit crimes and are subsequently released due to bail reform. I guess the system is broken when peaceful protesters can destroy property and loot stores only to have the Mayor say they are just venting
The system worked fine
Self defense works
hey meng, nine of the peolple shot were black, they were white.
youre an idiot if you believe pressure should change a jury.
defending yourself is not illegal in this country
kyle is free, the way it should be
he was attached by a left is mob including a child rapist who was killed. He wont be raping boys anymore
dave
Dave -Quote Meng “ There is no justice in today’s verdict, or in how our system treats Black Americans every day,” Meng said. “I am standing in solidarity with the families of those killed and with everyone hurt by this miscarriage of justice.” Learn to read the subject of Mengs post is the system not the victims.
Exactly , he did society a favor by removing a child rapist from this planet , including one member of the terror group Antifa
Antifa is anti fascist. That’s why Republicans hate them.
These muppet politicians want to restrain the police from enforcing the law which creates a vacuum for vigilantes.They might want to worry about the rising crime in the neighborhoods they represent .
hilarious that the liberals always want to bend the rules to their will. funny how dictators do the same. its not like they respect the constitution anyway.
hilarious that the conservatives always want to bend the rules to their will. funny how dictators do the same. its not like they respect the constitution anyway.
Anti-American yet you don’t leave.
Roberto,aka Hashtagger- What a narcissistic sense of entitlement you display. Most would rather have a country of open minded and free thinking citizens with respect and mannersMost would prefer to see key board tough guys and Fox echo chamber blowhards like you leave. Fact!
These deluded people want us to think white people do not have the right to self defense.
This country that they want to destroy was founded by courageous people like Kyle Rittenhouse. The career criminal. Who attacked him from behind, Joseph Rosenbaum ,was a child rapist, are the Democrats crying over him? The ten years he spent in prison did not rehabilitate him at all. He raped five boys between the ages of 6 & 11.
How dare Queens Democrats ignite hatred & encourage violence, the Democrats like their shock troops to do their dirty work. Why weren’t they rioting on Jamaica Avenue or Far Rockaway? They went to do property damage in a white neighborhood given the go ahead by our stupid mayor. Why didn’t they go riot down by Gracie Mansion?
I have no interest in the opinions of queens politicians in regard to this case. But since all of us here have gotten our news second hand, (can I safely presume none of the Posts readers were in Kenosha that night?) not a one of us should say anything with certainty. It looks to you as if Justice was done. Good for you. It looks to me as if Justice was miscarried, aborted, beaten to a pulp, burned at the stake, pulled limb from limb, and thrown into a volcano. But that is just an opinion based on the news. None of us was there.
George Floyd had a criminal record also. But he is an American hero to many. Nyc even made a statue in honor of him and i seen people pray there.
Well Democrats are pro- criminal thugs so what these lowlifes say is irrelevant to the working person.
Big Jim- Pro criminal like Bernard Klerik , Paul Manofort, Michael Flynn and Steve Bannon?
Let me fix the headline
Several communist leaning free loading politicos disrespect jury system
Do not know the facts and intend to incite violence
There fixed it!
Funny how this is about “white supremacy” despite a white kid shooting other white men in self defense.
The Media is the true enemy of the people. They mislead and push racial divide because it’s good for ratings. Racism is not a systematic problem in America. It’s a business model for making money.
Oh gee
A pedophile and wife abuser were killed
These so called politicians want to abolish the right to self defense
Can’t wait for van bramer and deblasio to leave office
U think joy won and eric adams are any better? Joy is open about stricter gun control laws and defund the police. Eric Adams is not mayor yet but is trying to play on both sides of the fence preparing for a future presidency…just wait and see.
That kid was the only real victim in this mess. He was there to help and protect while the ‘protesters’ were there to intimidate and destroy. He had the right to be there and the right to protect himself from a mob that exhibited violence repeatedly against people and property. The government is to blame for allowing these riots to go unchecked. They could have denounced antifa and blm for what they are, but didn’t. They could have activated the national guard, but didn’t. They could have corrected misinformation that spread like fire, they fanned the flame instead. This 17 year old has been put through too much and I’m glad the jury had the courage and integrity to see through the propaganda and render the correct decision. They can mourn their martyrs all they want but it won’t change what they are, criminals. Godspeed to this kid and good luck to the rest of us with these hateful wackos in power.
The justice system is retarded
And if he was found guilty they still would of said its racists claiming if the victims were blk he would of been freed. So many ways of twisting things around to divide people even further. This was also done to not upset the Republican base fearing midterm elections might bring more of them to the polls.
When progressive politicians spew anger and bile, that means whatever just transpired was right and just. Rule of life 🙂
They can cry all week. We have a right to defend ourselves and our communities. ?????????
This case feels way more about the politics than the actual case. Must admit i find that mildly terrifying, all these people pitching in with their feelings trying to get mob justice
I agree with Joe Biden.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/19/politics/joe-biden-kyle-rittenhouse-verdict/index.html
How did this become a race issue?
Fun fact, none of the people who didn’t engage Rittenhouse were shot.
Kyle Rittenhouse is like the OJ Simpson of this generation.
He looks like Chaz Bono
Just a tweet? No rallies or bike rides for the victims?
The race of the victims played the biggest role in finding him not guilty. Glad protests were peaceful after the verdict due to who actually cared to come out.
To say that we are relieved is a great understatement. ?
These politicians are victim hustling. Avoid these Marxist ideas for they are the enemy of the republic. There’s a major difference between Freedom of thought and being a corrupt politician trying to systematically destroying the USA.
Big surprise that Queens politicians came out against the american rule of law and being judged by a jury of our peers. every person in this case was white. 2 dead whites 1 white shot 1 white shooter, lawyers, judge, 11 jury’s white 1 poc.
The jury unanimously decided not guilty. so which white was Superior to the other the ones who were shot or the shooter? The question is why do Democrats always inject race into everything?
It was self-defense. The jury made their decision based on law and facts in evidence ONLY; not political opinions, or personal feelings, media intimidation or threats against them.
It was the correct verdict whether it suits your political agenda or not.