Live protest updates: Milwaukee protest leader Frank Nitty opens up about Christian faith
Across America, protesters are demonstrating against the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died with his neck pinned under the knee of since-fired Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Floyd called out for his mother. He gasped the words: "I can't breathe." He was accused of trying to buy a pack of cigarettes with a counterfeit $20 bill.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is covering local demonstrations and fallout and will update this story throughout the day.
Sunday, June 21
12:15 p.m.: Milwaukee protest leader opens up about his Christian faith
Milwaukee protest organizer Frank Sensabaugh spoke about his Christian faith and his evolution as a leader in the local movement for racial equality during a Sunday morning interview with City of Light Church pastor Brian McKee.
“A lot of people don’t know, I’m a Christian,” said Sensabaugh — widely known as Frank Nitty — during a livestream of the interview, which was titled “Keep That Same Energy."
Nitty made an impression on McKee four years ago during the Sherman Park unrest, when Nitty spoke up about how he thought local churches weren’t stepping up to help their communities.
Nitty said some churches tended to do a day of service for a community that needs it every day, or as he described it, “Sometimes the church puts a Band-aid on something that needs surgery.”
“A lot of people have been hurt by the church misrepresenting Jesus Christ,” Nitty said. “It hurts me when I see that … I want to reconnect people.”
Nitty also acknowledged areas where he might be viewed as a flawed leader.
“Throughout the Bible God used sinners. I know my language ain’t always the best. I never said I’d be a living example of how to be the perfect Christian … but for me, you’d have to be crazy to think God’s not using me,” Nitty said, becoming emotional. “If you use me, I’ll do your work better than anybody else. That’s my thing, my heart.”
He emphasized that protests must turn chants into policies that get passed at the city and the state level, but it’s a process. It takes time for people to buy into these ideas, Nitty said.
To God, Nitty says: “Give (the plan) to me in pieces because I don’t want to see the finish line.”
— Dana Brandt
Saturday, June 20
8:30 p.m. Brother of Sylville Smith speaks of justice to crowd in Cudahy
Protesters marching through Cudahy on Saturday evening stopped in front of the city hall to listen to speakers deliver calls to action.
Sedan Smith — the brother of Sylville Smith who was fatally shot by a Milwaukee police officer in 2016 — urged the crowd to move beyond just asking for justice, but to instead commit to making a change.
“I'm the change, we are the change,” Smith said. “We are creating a difference in the world where we can bring all walks of humanity together. This is what democracy looks like."
Smith spoke about Juneteenth, emphasizing that even though the final enslaved people in the U.S. were freed on that day, true freedom was never achieved.
“A lot of us have been fighting for over 450 years,” Smith said. “So this fight is completely different when we have people of all cultures, all races, different ethnic backgrounds, coming together to create what we want to see the police do. To create a change.”
- Talia Soglin and Asha Prihar
4:14 p.m. March planned for Sunday on east side is postponed
With stormy weather forecasted Sunday afternoon, organizers postponed an event called “Marching for Inclusivity, for all Black Lives,” which had been planned on the east side of Milwaukee.
South of the city, another march went forward. The group started in St. Francis, and planned to walk seven miles to end up at Cudahy’s City Hall. Several businesses were marked as rest stops along the way for bathroom breaks, water and other needs.
There were about 200 people on foot mid-afternoon and had entered Cudahy by 4 p.m. At one point, while still in St. Francis, the group passed a group of people in lawn chairs with “We back the blue” signs. Marchers paused and drivers with the group honked their horns. Then they moved on.
Frank Sensabaugh - known as Frank Nitty - and Khalil Coleman promoted the event to those who’ve been following them in previous marches. As Nitty livestreamed from the march, a middle school teacher asked him to come do a unit at her school in Wauwatosa.
“Everyone wants to ride with the people at this point,” Nitty said on the livestream.
The group planned to do a voter registration drive at the end of the march.
- Rory Linnane and Rick Wood
3:10 pm: Organizers hold teach-in on police brutality in Milwaukee
Despite heavy rain, dozens of people gathered in Gordon Park on Saturday for a teach-in on police brutality.
The event, put together by the Milwaukee Party for Socialism and Liberation and other organizers, sought to educate Milwaukee residents about the history of police brutality and institutionalized racism in the city.
Malik Pitchford, a 19-year-old student at DePaul University, spoke about Black Power philosophy and called for structural changes to the political and economic system. The policing system in the United States, he said, cannot be reformed and must instead be abolished.
“You can’t reform a system that is meant to put Black and brown people at the bottom of the barrel,” Pitchford said of American policing.
Lauryn Cross, a 20-year-old organizer originally from the Sherman Park neighborhood, criticized police unions for defending officers accused of misconduct. She called for Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah, who has fatally shot killed three people in his five years of service, to be fired.
A second wave of rain and thunder cut the event short, but speakers told listeners they’re considering holding another teach-in sometime in the future to continue the conversation about justice and change.
— Genevieve Redsten
9:26 p.m.: Madison protesters march to Dane County Jail for 'mass bailout'
In Madison, protesters marched from a Juneteenth celebration Friday in Olin Park toward the Dane County Jail for what organizers said would be a “mass bailout.”
“We don’t want no killer cops,” they chanted on their way down John Nolen Drive.
Adam Duxter of WISC-TV News-3 reported that protesters, led by Freedom, Inc. and Urban Triage, announced that they had blocked every entrance to the jail.
They arrived at the jail with three demands: defunded police, emptied jails and community control over policing. Freedom Inc., the Wisconsin State Journal has reported, supports the freeing of all people incarcerated at Dane County Jail, and has recently pushed for their release specifically in light of concerns about being coronavirus infections.
Duxter reported that an organizer said 13 people had been bailed out of the jail.
— Talia Soglin
3:15 p.m.: Black Lives Matter mural painted in Milwaukee
Milwaukee Police Commander David Feldmeier stood in uniform at the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Locust Street on Friday and admired the work being done by artists.
Artists and volunteers painted “Black Lives Matter” diagonally across the intersection less than 100 feet from Police District 5 – where he is in charge.
“The fact that you have to make that statement says how much work we have to do in this country,” Feldmeier said, adding he is glad the community is coming together peacefully to paint the intersection. “The way that it draws everyone together in unity is something that, to me, is very promising.”
Several weeks ago, District 5 was the center of unrest in the city after protesters marched in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer in Minneapolis. Shops were vandalized, broken into, items stolen, and buildings were partially burned.
The painting of the mural is meant to symbolically mark the beginning of coming change in Milwaukee. The location was picked and scheduled purposefully on Juneteenth Day.
— Ricardo Torres
11:25 a.m.: Evers calls for ban on chokeholds, no-knock warrants
Gov. Tony Evers in a Juneteenth announcement Friday called for banning police chokeholds and no-knock search warrants and requiring officers to use deadly force only as a last resort.
But the Democratic governor rejected a request by the Legislative Black Caucus to convene a special legislative session to take up the proposals.
Evers said Republicans who control the Legislature would likely immediately end such a session, as they have on other matters. The decision not to hold a special session likely puts off consideration of the ideas until 2021 at the earliest.
“Our country promises the opportunity of justice and equity, and it’s time for us to deliver on that promise,” Evers said in a statement. “This legislation is a first step toward dismantling the systems we’ve created, but it can only be a first step. Racism and racial disparities can’t be solved with any single bill or package of bills, or person — it’s on all of us, together."
— Patrick Marley
THURSDAY, JUNE 18
8:18 p.m.: Black Lives Matter street mural to be painted in Milwaukee
Milwaukee is about to get a massive Black Lives Matter street mural, one similar to those being painted on city streets across the country, including Washington, D.C.
The message — to be painted in large letters along the street — will be completed Friday near the intersection of N. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive and W. Locust Street.
Ald. Milele Coggs, who represents the area, said the painting will take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. She shared the news Thursday evening on Twitter and Instagram. There will be chalk drawing and painting as well as activities for children, the announcement said.
The community is invited to join in painting alongside Vedale Hill and other local artists.
According to CBS 58, the mural is being commissioned by the City of Milwaukee. It is sponsored by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Walmart, West Care Wisconsin, X Men United, the Historic King Drive Business Improvement District and Athena Communications.
The intersection is close to the Fifth District Police Station, where protesters have had several confrontations with police — including on the first night of local marches in the wake of the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Several King Drive businesses were vandalized and looted.
— Talia Soglin
7:40 p.m.: Mayor Tom Barrett calls on Fire and Police Commission to ban chokeholds
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett sent a letter Thursday to the city’s Fire and Police Commission urging them to ban the use of chokeholds.
“Allowing chokeholds in police tactics creates a clear risk to the lives of citizens,” Barrett said in the letter. “These tactics needlessly increase the risk of death or disability in interactions with the police.”
If the Fire and Police Commission does take action to eliminate the use of chokeholds, Milwaukee would join cities such as Minneapolis, Denver, Dallas, Houston and San Diego in banning the practice in the wake of widespread protests against police brutality.
If the change is made, though, it’s not a given that it will lead to fewer issues.
A Tuesday report from NPR found these bans can be hard to enforce. Even though chokeholds may be forbidden, other forms of neck restraints could still be allowed, or chokeholds are permitted if officers determine their lives are at risk.
Barrett asked the Fire and Police Commission to “move swiftly” in revising standard operating procedures and said this “will certainly not be the only discussion and action taken around use of force in policing.”
Barrett appoints the members of the commission, who are approved by the Common Council. The commission is the primary oversight body for the Police Department.
— Dana Brandt
6:30 p.m.: Protesters conduct sit-in at Menomonee Falls Speedway
Six Black Lives Matter protesters spent about four hours Thursday conducting a sit-in at a Speedway gas station in Menomonee Falls where, two nights earlier, a group of protesters were locked out.
One protester arrived shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday, and a total of six joined by noon. All had left by 2 p.m. Police were not involved in the sit-in.
Tamara Wess, a Menomonee Falls resident who led the effort, said she wanted to talk to the manager who was on duty Tuesday night. In that incident, a group of protesters who had been marching through Menomonee Falls attempted to use the restrooms at the gas station, but were blocked.
The gas station was quickly closed, hours before its posted closing time. State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, D-Milwaukee, who is white and attended the protest, labeled what happened “racist, plain and simple."
Wess said she wanted to talk to the manager who was on duty Tuesday night.
Wells said she was told that managers at the station Thursday came in from other Speedway locations. She said she just wants to know if it was a decision by the store, or from the corporate level, to close when protesters arrived Tuesday.
Marna Berlekamp, communications specialist for Speedway's Marathon Petroleum Corporation, said in an email to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel earlier this week that the company was ordered to lock the gas station's doors.
Berlekamp said the decision to close was at the instruction of local authorities, but the Menomonee Falls Police Department said it did not make any such request. It is unclear if Berlekamp meant local Speedway managers, but a manager at the Falls gas station refused to comment, directing a reporter back to corporate.
Said Wess: “I want to know and to hold them (Speedway) accountable.”
— Cathy Kozlowicz
5:45 p.m.: 'I need justice today': Protesters march to Mayfair Mall, demonstrate outside Cheesecake Factory
Protesters traveled to Mayfair mall, where Alvin Cole’s sister, Taleavia, approached patrons seated outdoors at The Cheesecake Factory, according to Milwaukee protest organizer Frank Nitty's livestream of the event.
Cole, who was 17, was fatally shot in The Cheesecake Factory parking lot by Wauwatosa police officer Joseph Mensah in February. Mensah was placed on administrative leave and is under investigation by the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.
“They eating at the Cheesecake Factory where my little brother was killed,” Cole said, as protesters gathered around the restaurant’s outdoor patio. “Y’all eating at the Cheesecake Factory where they can’t provide us with no cameras. Y’all eating at the Cheesecake Factory that can’t even release a statement about the death of my brother. Y’all eating here, you happy? I’m sorry to make you cry, but I’m sad myself.”
Cole implored the customers to leave, and some did as demonstrators clapped.
The mother of Antonio Gonzales, who was fatally shot by Mensah and another officer in 2015, spoke after Cole.
“I need justice today,” she said on the livestream. “Not after almost five years, I need it today.”
— Talia Soglin
3:25 p.m.: Tosa protesters submit complaint against officer who fatally shot teenager
A group of more than 50 gathered at the Wauwatosa Police Department to submit a complaint against the officer who fatally shot a Milwaukee teenager in early February outside Mayfair mall.
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the shooting death of 17-year-old Alvin Cole on Feb. 2.
Kimberley Motley, attorney for the Cole family, filed an open records request at the Wauwatosa Police Department on Thursday.
A group entered the police station with Motley and chanted “Say his name, Alvin Cole” in the lobby. A man also held a banner that said “Justice for Alvin.”
Protests seeking justice for Cole have taken place over the last few weeks following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a police officer.
Police say Cole was armed with a stolen gun and fired first as he fled from officers after a disturbance at the mall.
The family disputes that Cole fired a gun.
Joseph Mensah shot Cole five times, according to police.
Cole’s family met Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisolm last week while a small rally was held outside the Milwaukee County Safety Building. The rally was also to show support for the two other families whose sons died after Mensah shot them. Motley also represents the family for Jay Anderson Jr., who was shot and killed by Mensah in a Wauwatosa park in 2016.
In both of those cases, the shootings were deemed justified self-defense.
A police captain told Motley that Wauwatosa Police Chief Barry Weber was not available to meet with the protesters or with Cole's family.
"Weber got to come out," said Cole's sister, Taleavia Cole.
— Evan Casey and Talia Soglin
2:51 p.m.: Protesters grieve, demonstrate at home of Robin Vos, angered by his 'culture' comment
Christine Nuemann-Ortiz, executive director of Voces de La Frontera, stood outside the home of Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, on Thursday holding a wreath of flowers one might see at a funeral.
“We’re here to send a message to Robin Vos who hasn’t had to risk his life or the life of a loved one to work to support them,” Neumann-Ortiz said.
Before arriving at Vos’ house, protesters met at Echo Veterans Memorial Park to pay tribute to those who have died from the coronavirus after contracting it at work.
The flowers were for Juan Manuel Reyes Valdez who died after contracting the coronavirus, allegedly at his job with Echo Lake Foods in Burlington, and Michael Jackson who worked at Briggs and Stratton, and died after contracting the coronavirus at work.
Dozens of protesters drove from the park to Echo Lake Foods and dropped off a wreath and then drove to Vos’ house with a wreath.
“Juan Manuel did not have the ability to meet his grandchild, Mike Jackson did not have a chance to get married to his long term fiancée and raise his children,” Neumann-Ortiz said. “(Vos) should resign. He should apologize and he should support real change.”
In a secretly recorded meeting with Gov. Tony Evers, Vos is heard citing immigrant “culture” as part of the reason why Racine County saw an increase in coronavirus cases.
The comments drew the ire from immigrants and non-immigrants.
Racine County Supervisor Fabi Maldonado, who was born in the United States but whose parents are from Mexico, said Vos was using immigrants as a “scapegoat” and his comments were “classic example of nativism.”
“You’re saying it’s immigrants, you’re talking to me, you’re talking to my mom, you’re talking to my community, you’re talking to my colleagues,” Maldonado said. “His lack of leadership is what needs to be called out... instead of bringing us together, he is separating us.”
Racine County Sheriff deputies were at Vos' house and politely informed the protesters that they couldn't leave the wreath and photos at the mailbox. They offered to take the wreath and photos to store them at their sub-patrol station and they could be picked up later. Maldonado agreed to pick up the wreath and photos later on.
In a response to the protest, Vos issued a statement saying the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act required family and medical leave as well as paid sick leave related to COVID-19.
"Today was not about worker benefits; it was about politics, which is unfortunate," Vos said. "At a time when everyone is looking for answers, we should be finding ways to work together."
— Ricardo Torres
1:35 p.m.: Shorewood woman who accosted two people wants to meet with victims, apologize
The 64-year-old Shorewood woman seen on video spitting on a Black teenager at a protest and shoving a 21-year-old man outside her home wants to meet with the two victims to apologize, according to her attorney.
Stephanie Rapkin has been charged with disorderly conduct, along with a hate crime enhancer that raises the maximum penalty to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine after prosecutors say she spat on Eric Patrick Lucas III, a 17-year-old Black student at Shorewood High School.
In her initial court appearance on Thursday, Rapkin’s attorney, Jason Luczak, said he intends to file a motion to dismiss the hate crime enhancer, which requires prosecutors to prove she was racially motivated in the spitting incident.
Rapkin, who practices as an estate planning and probate attorney in Mequon, has also been charged with battery to a law enforcement officer after prosecutors say she kneed Shorewood police officer Ali Govani in the groin when he attempted to arrest her for shoving 21-year-old Joe Friedman on the sidewalk in front of her house on June 7.
Battery to a law-enforcement officer carries a maximum penalty of three years in prison, plus three years of extended supervision. Lucas’ attorney, Matthew Pinix, and Friedman’s attorney, Michael Maistelman, said they would talk with their clients to see if a meeting with Rapkin interests them.
— Jeff Rumage
11:31 a.m.: Menomonee Falls Speedway under fire after locking doors to protesters
A Menomonee Falls Speedway is under fire after it locked its doors to protesters Tuesday night, prompting those involved to claim it was racially motivated.
According to witness reports, five Black protesters were not allowed to go into the gas station, but one white protester was allowed in to use the bathroom.
Dashod Crutchfield, who is Black, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Wednesday about 11 protesters at 8 p.m. strayed from the group of approximately 100 protesters.
Crutchfield of Milwaukee said the group wanted to use the bathrooms, buy food and drinks and get ice at the Speedway, N87 W17245 Main St.
Clayton Jones, a white protester from Menomonee Falls, said he tried to get in after the protesters were denied, but an employee told him it was the corporate decision to close at 8:30 p.m.
People were still inside and it was well before the 11 p.m. posted closing time, he said.
Marna Berlekamp, communications specialist for Speedway's Marathon Petroleum Corporation, said in an email to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the company was ordered to lock the gas station's doors, though it's unclear who issued this order.
“What happened at that gas station was racist, plain and simple," state Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, D-Milwaukee, who is white and attended the protest, said in a statement. "I’m calling on the people of Menomonee Falls to acknowledge the racism in their community and work as hard as possible to make their city welcoming to everyone."
— Cathy Kozlowicz
8:58 a.m.: Packers among organizations closing for Juneteenth
The Green Bay Packers will close their operations on Friday in observation of Juneteenth, which marks the end of slavery in the United States.
It will be an annual observance, the Packers said.
"The Packers will be observing Juneteenth and taking the opportunity to reflect on our own roles and opportunities to further our awareness of racial injustices and inequities and what we can do to affect positive change in our communities," Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy said in a release.
Currently, only the Packers Pro Shop is open to the public. It reopened on Monday after having been closed since mid-March in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Packers offices reopened in a limited way at the end of May.
Here's a list of other organizations closed for Juneteenth.
— Richard Ryman
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17
1:36 p.m.: Menomonee Falls residents calling for Trustee's resignation after Facebook posts
Menomonee Falls residents are calling on Village Trustee Steve Taggart to resign in the aftermath of controversial social-media comments he made prior to a recent racial justice rally.
If he doesn't resign, there is a push to get Taggart recalled.
"We are looking into it and hope to see what kind of support we can get," said Menomonee Falls resident Clayton Jones, one of the leaders in a potential recall effort.
These efforts stem from Taggart calling the School District of Menomonee Falls "radical communists" on the Menomonee Falls Republicans Facebook page for their perceived role in a rally June 6 that started at Menomonee Falls North Middle School.
In a second post that same week — on a Menomonee Falls community Facebook page — Taggert said the gunshots a Facebook user heard was the police department practicing for the Black Lives Matter rally the next day.
Stephanie Kosmeder, who ran unsuccessfully for a village trustee seat this spring, compared the backlash against Taggart to a lynching, which prompted its own criticism.
Taggart and Kosmeder apologized for their comments, but for many the apologies weren't enough.
About 75 to 100 protesters marched outside their homes Tuesday night.
There were no arrests and no reported incidents, Menomonee Falls Police Department Lt. Gene Neyhart said.
“The purpose of going to both places was to show them ... that racism is not welcome in our neighborhoods," Jones said.
— Cathy Kozlowicz
12:54 p.m.: DOJ rolls out online means of reporting civil rights violations
The U.S. Department of Justice has rolled out a new, online way to report suspected civil rights violations.
“The Civil Rights Reporting Portal will make it easier for the public to connect with us, which in turn makes us more effective at upholding these important rights," said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division.
"I encourage the public to use this portal to report civil rights violations” in housing, employment, education, voting and other contexts.
The new site, civilrights.justice.gov, consolidates more than 30 other ways to report concerns about civil rights.
"The portal will dramatically ease the burden on victims of civil rights violations to identify the proper reporting channel," reads a news release from Milwaukee U.S. Attorney Matthew Krueger.
But for concerns about police brutality, human trafficking or any other possible criminal violations of civil rights, the DOJ suggests people still contact their local FBI office.
— Bruce Vielmetti
11:58 a.m.: Juneteenth flag to fly over capitol
Democratic Gov. Tony Evers announced Wednesday that the Juneteenth flag will be raised over the Wisconsin State Capitol for the first time in state history beginning at sunrise Friday.
The flag commemorating the end of slavery in the United States will fly over the Capitol’s East Wing, replacing for a day the rainbow Pride Flag recognizing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride.
Evers in a statement noted Wisconsin has “some of the most disparate outcomes” for Black people and said it is important to recognize the state’s history and move forward toward “a more racially equitable and just society.”
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is celebrated June 19. People in Madison and Milwaukee are organizing various events to recognize the day.
— Lawrence Andrea
7:10 a.m.: Pabst Theater venues to promote racial-justice organizations
The Pabst Theater Group’s four venues remain closed, but Wednesday they announced they will be using their platform to "help amplify the voices of organizations and businesses that fight against racial injustice and improve the lives of those in Milwaukee’s African American community."
For one week each month, the Pabst will promote a business or organization to their email subscribers and on their social media platforms through their new MilwALLkee initiative. The venue group has over 300,000 email subscribers and more than 174,000 followers of their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
“As the most segregated city in America, Milwaukee has critical work to do in the movement against its long history of systemic racism,” said Gary Witt, CEO of the Pabst Theater Group, in a statement. “The Pabst Theater Group has always been a company dedicated to developing community. ... We are pleased that we can now lend our platform to allow these groups' reach to exceed their grasp.”
Youth mentorship program Running Rebels Community Organization will be the first to be featured, beginning on Juneteenth, this Friday. The Milwaukee Urban League will be spotlighted in July.
"As we celebrate 40 years of service to Milwaukee's community, we are excited to partner with the Pabst Theater Group to spread awareness about the importance of mentoring and working together as a community to help Milwaukee youth achieve their goals," said Victor Barnett, founder and executive director of Running Rebels, in a statement.
Black-owned businesses and organizations can be nominated for the MilwALLkee program at pabsttheater.org/milwallkee.
— Piet Levy
TUESDAY, JUNE 16
9:45 p.m.: Speedway in Menomonee Falls closes after protesters attempt to use bathroom
The daily protest marches led by Milwaukee’s Frank Nitty wound up in Menomonee Falls on Tuesday night.
And protesters wound up locked out of a Speedway gas station, located at Shady Lane and Main Street, with a state lawmaker labeling what happened "a racist act."
During Nitty’s livestream of the march, he filmed a Speedway gas station employee locking the doors as protesters approached the business saying they wanted to shop and use the restrooms. Women and men could be seen standing outside the business asking why the doors were locked.
At around 8:30 p.m., the station shut down for the night. Its posted closing time is 11 p.m.
State Rep. Jonathan Brostoff, D-Milwaukee, also took to Facebook Live, with his stream showing the employee and several customers inside with the door locked.
“Apparently Speedway does not want black people coming into their Menomonee Falls district,” said Brostoff, who later called it "a racist act."
State Rep. David Bowen, D-Milwaukee, was also on the scene. He later tweeted: "Day 19: @Speedway in the Menomonee Falls suburb closed so #BlackLivesMatter protestors can't use the bathroom or get gas 'on a corporate decision'. Seems pretty racist to close when the black ppl show up. They should clarify."
Like Brostoff, Bowen has often joined the marchers. A video tweeted by a WISN-TV reporter showed the two outside the station. It was unclear from the video if they had asked to go inside.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters reached out to the Speedway, but the telephone line was continuously busy. Reporters also reached out to Speedway Corporate office and the Menomonee Falls Police Department. Neither immediately responded to calls.
Bowen encouraged his Facebook Live viewers to reach out to Speedway corporate and tweet about the incident.
"We're living in an era where it has to be accountability," said Brostoff.
— Patricia McKnight
5:49 p.m.: Woman who spat on teen protester tests negative for COVID-19
Stephanie Rapkin, the Shorewood woman charged with spitting in a teenager's face during a George Floyd protest last week, has tested negative for the coronavirus.
A lawyer who represents another person whom Rapkin pushed in another confrontation had demanded that Rapkin be tested.
On Tuesday, the District Attorney's Office notified attorney Mike Maistelman of the results.
"We are relieved that Attorney Rapkin tested negative for Covid-19" Maistelman said. "Now we await how the criminal case plays out."
Rapkin, 64, was charged Friday with disorderly conduct, with a hate crime enhancer, for spitting at 17-year-old Eric Lucas outside the Metro Market on Oakland Avenue on June 6, and with battery to a law enforcement officer on June 7, during her arrest for a second confrontation with a protester, college student Joe Friedman, outside her home.
Maistelman represents Friedman.
She has been free on more than $10,000 bail since her arrest. The hate crime is a misdemeanor, the battery a felony. She is scheduled to make her initial court appearance Thursday, via teleconference.
Rapkin practices estate and probate law in Mequon.
Her attorney, Jason Luczak, could not be reached early Tuesday evening.
— Bruce Vielmetti
1:37 p.m.: Peaceful curfew violations won't be prosecuted, but 40 people charged with crimes
Milwaukee District Attorney John Chisholm announced Tuesday his office will not prosecute peaceful protesters, but has charged about 40 people for crimes that spun out of the early days of the continuing marches over the death of George Floyd.
The announcement seemed to address more than 160 tickets issued to people who were out past the 9 p.m. curfew that was in place from May 31 to June 1. City Attorney Tearman Spencer said Friday his office would be reviewing them all and dismissing some, short of a general amnesty demanded by the ACLU Wisconsin and several defense attorneys.
Most of the $691 citations were issued by the Milwaukee Police Department and would be handled in Municipal Court. Chisholm said his office would "closely scrutinize" any curfew citations written by Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office, but as of Tuesday, it had not been asked by the sheriff's office to review any curfew tickets.
Prosecutors have charged people with various crimes for actions that spun out of protests, including burglary, property damage and reckless endangerment. Federal prosecutors have charged one man with attempted arson and possession of an explosive device, and one with aiming a laser pointer at an FBI airplane and a National Guard helicopter while they flew surveillance above protests.
— Bruce Vielmetti
1:32 p.m.: Common Council moves forward on action to reduce police budget
Following a lengthy discussion over the role of police in the community and the city’s fiscal challenges, Milwaukee Common Council members on Tuesday approved a measure directing the city budget office to explore the implications of a 10% cut to the Police Department budget.
Members said they felt an urgency in this moment when protests over police brutality and racial disparities have spread across the nation. And they highlighted the importance of planning well in advance of the city’s fall budget season.
— Alison Dirr and Asha Prihar
8:29 a.m.: Colectivo raises $43K for NAACP from 'Unity' coffee sales
Colectivo Coffee, the Milwaukee-based roaster and cafe, is giving $43,000 to the NAACP from sales of its "Unity" coffee.
Colectivo started selling the Ethiopian coffee blend last week, vowing to donate 100% of all sales to NAACP chapters. The company said Monday it had already raised $43,000 through the sales that would go to NAACP chapters in Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago.
The coffee blend Unity is for sale on the Colectivo website and in its cafes for $15.95 a pound.
"This is not the end," Colectivo wrote in a message to customers about the initial donation. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with the NAACP."
— Sarah Hauer
MONDAY, JUNE 15
12:58 p.m.: Common Council exploring 10% cut in police budget
Eleven members of the Milwaukee Common Council are directing the city's budget director to create a model 2021 budget in which the Milwaukee Police Department would lose 10% of the funding it was budgeted this year.
"Our citizens have been marching in the streets for the past several weeks demanding change," Ald. José Pérez, the measure's lead sponsor, said in a statement Monday. "They deserve to be heard. If adopted, this proposal will begin a community discussion of how we could make that change."
The Police Department budget, at $297.4 million this year, is nearly half of city departmental funds from the general-purpose budget.
The city will adopt the 2021 budget later this year, so this proposal will not determine what the police budget will be next year.
— Alison Dirr
10:50 a.m.: Trainer whose 'I can't breathe' workout went viral has been fired
A trainer at Anytime Fitness in Wauwatosa has been fired after they drew and posted an "I can't breathe" workout that garnered national backlash.
The workout, which was posted on a dry-erase board at the gym, says "I can't breathe," and then "... don't you dare lay down."
The workout also included a drawing of a person, drawn with black marker, in a kneeling position. "I can't breathe" were among the final words of George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for 8 minutes, 46 seconds. Floyd's death has prompted nationwide protests to call for racial justice and an end to police brutality. The owner and staff of the gym have all volunteered for anti-racism training the company is now providing, according to a statement.
— Evan Casey
7:30 a.m.: These two men have been at the forefront of Milwaukee protests
Frank Sensabaugh (also known as Frank Nitty), 39, has become one of the more distinctive faces — and voices — of the movement in Milwaukee. His long dreadlocks are hard to miss, along with his oversized baseball cap worn just so to the side. His Facebook Live posts, direct from the protest front lines, draw thousands of viewers.
But just out of camera view is Khalil Coleman, 33, the key organizer of the largest local daily demonstrations that erupted after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Coleman directs medics, security and traffic control and makes sure a certain order holds.
"For the 10 hours that we're out there every day, people feel a sense of freedom," Coleman said. "They feel a sense of togetherness, a sense of love, something that they never felt before."
Since May 29, they have been at the center of protests in the Milwaukee area. Their marches are designed to instill passion and energy, and connect with many who have lost patience with waiting for change to come through measured means.
— Bill Glauber
SUNDAY, JUNE 14
5:15 p.m.: 80 people protest racism in Waukesha march
In the city of Waukesha, about 80 people took to the streets to protest racism in the criminal justice system following the death of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer.
“We saw a really strong showing in protests in Waukesha before and I want to keep that going,” said Ben Strong, who organized the protests.
He said he plans to organize a weekly Waukesha protest until more changes are made in the criminal justice system.
“I think it’s really important for the people over in Milwaukee that this happens in Waukesha because, if you keep having coverage of the Milwaukee protests people in Waukesha are going to feel disconnected from it because it’s not out on their doorstep,” Strong said.
Protesters walked around Waukesha from the City Hall to the Police Department. At the Police Department, protesters kneeled for nine minutes to honor George Floyd.
Then Strong asked police officers to march back to the City Hall with them.
“I ask you to march with us to show that you value the members of your community more than the system that suppresses them,” Strong said.
One officer, Lt. Chad Pergande, decided to walk with them.
Pergande refused an interview, but he did speak with protesters while marching. He told protesters that the Police Department tries to eradicate racism by hiring the right people and provide bias training. Protesters challenged the officer to do more to combat racism and avoid using force.
As protesters walked, many cars honked in support. People came out of their homes to observe and some cheered on the march.
“It is amazing to see,” Damien Meredith said as he watched protesters pass his home. “It shows everybody is taking notice that there is a problem that needs to change.”
Helen Boudry marched with her dad on Sunday afternoon.
“I think it’s important to show that this isn’t just an issue in cities, it’s an issue in all of America,” Boudry said. “Even though we're in a small town like Waukesha, the cause can still spread and our voice can still be heard.”
Two individuals followed the protesters, one holding a sign that said, “Support good cops.” The two people refused to be named but said they were there not as a counter-protest but just to remind people about good cops.
- Jordyn Noennig