As pro basketball and baseball games were called off on Wednesday amid anger over this week’s police shooting of a black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin which has touched off violent protests, Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden criticized the police shooting, but also urged demonstrators in the streets to stop their violent response.
"Once again a black man, Jacob Blake, has been shot by the police broad daylight," Biden said in a video released by his campaign.
"What I saw in that video makes me sick," Biden added, as he also tried to send a message to protesters.
“But burning down communities is not protest, it’s needless violence,” the former Vice President said.
"Our hearts are with his family, especially his children."@JoeBiden says he spoke with the family of Jacob Blake, a Black man who was shot by police Sunday in Wisconsin pic.twitter.com/puLxmAeU8o
— Shakthi Vadakkepat (@v_shakthi) August 26, 2020
Both Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris, spoke with the Blake family on Wednesday.
“What happened there is so tragic and still represents the two systems of justice in America,” Harris said in a campaign video with Rep. Brenda Lawrence (D-MI).
The comments from Biden and Harris came as NBA players scrapped several scheduled playoff games, and made emotional appeals for action with regards to police shootings of black men.
“It’s amazing to me why we keep loving this country and this country does not love us back,” said Doc Rivers, the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team.
“When will it stop?” said Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). “When will the police that we pay to protect & serve stop killing black people?”
"We are scared as Black people in America."
— CNN (@CNN) August 25, 2020
LeBron James calls for justice following the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin and encourages people to vote for change in November's election. https://t.co/BJBsC8QW4A pic.twitter.com/CpAp9rmEZF
This is the shooting video of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, WI. pic.twitter.com/yerWbsSxQU
— Austin Frisch (@Austin_Zone) August 24, 2020
President Trump denounced the violence in Kenosha, and vowed to send in federal law enforcement personnel to "restore LAW and ORDER."
"We will NOT stand for looting, arson, violence and lawlessness on America's streets," the President tweeted on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a 17 year old male was arrested for shooting and killing two people at a Tuesday night protest in Kenosha about the Blake shooting.
"Two people are dead because Kyle Rittenhouse was allowed to walk the streets of Kenosha with an AR-15 and murder them," said Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).
“I wonder why a deranged white nationalist Trump supporter would show up to a protest with a rifle and start shooting people,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT).