Independent reporters who were livestreaming the riot in Kenosha, Wisconsin, risked their lives to save a church from burning after arsonists targeted a car dealership next door.
The Bradford Community Church, which was at risk of burning to the ground, is on the National Register of Historic Places.
A perfect summary of the chaos in America in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Welcome to the Mob’s America.
— The Columbia Bugle 🇺🇸 (@ColumbiaBugle) August 24, 2020
The riot began on Sunday night in response to an officer involved shooting of a black man who was resisting arrest and attempting to reach for something inside his vehicle.
Independent reporters who were on the scene filming attempted to save the church, risking their own lives to do so, before the fire department arrived.
@CjHalliburton and Andrew Mercado risk their lives to save the church in Kenosha https://t.co/cCSM2XLcPf
— special agent viti (@selfdeclaredref) August 24, 2020
Andrew attempts to build a firewall between the dealership & the church then hears sirens .. Runs over to the fire trucks .. This is amazing footage folks in #Kenosha
Live ->https://t.co/G8l0g20Kqh pic.twitter.com/qCQvvUOK7k— wlctv.ca (@wlctv_ca) August 24, 2020
Fires create their own weather systems ..
The church adjacent to the car dealership is about to catch fire in #kenosha pic.twitter.com/TwzMwf1e4m
— wlctv.ca (@wlctv_ca) August 24, 2020
https://www.facebook.com/AndrewMercadoMedia/videos/3052162461547558/
The flames were “kissing” the church, according to Mercado, after the vehicles in the car dealership began to explode.
Mercado, however, also claimed that the fire “has no political affiliation,” ignoring the fact that the fire was extremely political.
The Nationalist Review reports that Mercado “alluded to a possible dishonorable discharge, saying that he’s basically quit the military but ‘tried to do it the right way.’ His family is no longer speaking to him due to his decision. Mercado was recently called a ‘liberal Nazi’ at a Trump rally after angering supporters of the president.”
The church also had a Black Lives Matter sign and had posted to Facebook about the shooting on Sunday.
“We at Bradford UU pray for Jacob Blake, his family and everyone in Kenosha right now. We remain committed to justice and equity and will not remain idle when such violence is administered by the very law enforcement which is supposed to protect and serve us. Please stay tuned to our Facebook page and your Bradford UU announcement emails for updates as the situation, and our response to it, continues to evolve,” a post on the Facebook page for the church read.
