Two people0's video with people having sexdead after being shot at a protest on Tuesday in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A local self-described militia group had posted an event on Facebook urging its armed supporters to show up that same night. It may not be a coincidence.
The event was posted by the Facebook Page for the Kenosha Guard militia group. The group encouraged “armed citizens” to appear as a counter protest to those demonstrating over the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
“Law enforcement is outnumbered and our Mayor has failed,” read the Facebook event information along with details on where and when to meet up. “Take up arms and let's defend our CITY!”
The Facebook event page has since been removedby the social network.
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Protests have erupted in Kenosha since Blake, an unarmed Black man, was shot seven times in the back on Sunday. Blake remains hospitalized, in stable condition.
One week ago, Facebook announcedthat it would crack down on pages and groups that encouraged “potential violence” as part of the company’s updated Dangerous Individuals and Organizationspolicy. Facebook specifically mentioned militia groups in its update.
Kyle Rittenhouse, a 17-year-old from Illinois, was charged on Wednesday with first-degree murder. Following the shootings, numerous videos were shared on social media showing an armed Rittenhouse alongside other gun-toting counter-protesters claimingto be with local militia groups. Video footage also exists of Rittenhouse shooting at protesters.
It's unknown at this time if Rittenhouse or the group he attended the protests with saw the Kenosha Guard's Facebook event.
"We’ve designated this shooting as a mass murder and have removed the shooter’s accounts from Facebook and Instagram," a Facebook spokesperson said. "At this time, we have not found evidence on Facebook that suggests the shooter followed the Kenosha Guard Page or that he was invited on the Event Page they organized."
Facebook removedthe page for the Kenosha Guard for violating that newly updated policythat now covers militia groups. The company is also designating the shooting as a violating event and will remove accounts and content depicting what transpired.
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A Facebook account belonging to Rittenhouse shows an obsession with law enforcement and support for Blue Lives Matter. Rittenhouse’s Facebook page has also been taken down.
InfoWars, the conspiratorial online outlet run by Alex Jones, also promoted the Facebook call to arms. The social media giant bannedboth Alex Jones and InfoWars from Facebook back in May 2019.
The shooting has been a topic of discussion within Boogaloo groups on Facebook. Boogaloo, also known as the Boogaloo Boys (or Bois), is a loosely-organized far-right militia movement that seeks to spark a second Civil War in the United States.
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There has even been infighting within these groups as to whether Rittenhouse could be deemed Boogaloo as some say his pro-law enforcement stance runs counter to the movement. The Boogaloo movement does appear to be heralding his actions though. It’s unclear if Rittenhouse had any connection to Boogaloo groups.
However, one thing is clear: Those Boogaloo groups shouldn’t even exist on Facebook to begin with.
Facebook announcedit was designating the Boogaloo movement as a “dangerous organization,” effectively banning them from the platform in June.
UPDATE: Aug. 26, 2020, 8:16 p.m. EDT: The story has been updated to include Facebook's statement.
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Topics Social Media