Donald Trump has accused protesters of carrying out acts of “domestic terror” after a white police officer was filmed shooting a black man seven times in the back in Wisconsin.
The US president made the remarks on a visit to the city of Kenosha, where Jacob Blake, 29, was left paralysed from the waist down following the shooting on 23 August.
Protesters have marched in Kenosha every night since the shooting, with some demonstrations resulting in buildings and vehicles being damaged and set on fire.
When he arrived in Kenosha, he toured some of the areas damaged by the unrest in the Wisconsin city, before sitting down with leaders to discuss the violence.
Mr Trump said, “Violent mobs demolished or damaged at least 25 businesses, burned down public buildings and threw bricks at police officers – which your police officers won’t stand for, and they didn’t stand for it.
“These are not acts of peaceful protest but really domestic terror.”
Around 1,000 people joined a mile-long march in Kenosha on Saturday night chanting “Black Lives Matter”, “No Justice, No Peace” and “seven bullets, seven days” – a reference to the number of times Mr Blake was shot
Referencing demonstrations that have taken place since the shooting, the US president continued: “To stop the political violence we must also confront the radical ideology that includes this violence.
“Reckless far-left politicians continue to push the destructive message that our nation and our law enforcement are oppressive or racist, they’ll throw out any word that comes to them.
“Actually we must give far greater support to our law enforcement. It’s all about giving them additional support.”
Mr Trump went on to say “you can do 10,000 great jobs as a policeman or a policewoman… and then you have one bad apple or something happens that’s bad, and that’s the nightly news for three weeks”.
“I think the police do an incredible job and I think you do have some bad apples… You do have the other situation, too, where they’re under tremendous pressure and they don’t handle it well. They call it choking and it happens.”
He added the federal government will provide $1m to local law enforcement in Wisconsin, $4m for small businesses and $42m to support public safety state-wide.
Mr Trump later claimed crime rates were highest in cities run by Democrats before adding: “We want to increase police funding substantially.”
Justin Blake, one of Jacob Blake’s uncles, said the justice system needs to be changed so that black children can play outside without worrying about being shot by police.
When quizzed about the need for structural change to the US’ law enforcement organizations, The President pointed out the need for “the police to be police” for the establishment of law and order
“Well I think the people are calling for structural change. And then you take the people of Kenosha that aren’t here and that you won’t see and that aren’t protesting, but they want change also. They want to see law and order. That’s the change they want,” the President said. “They want the police to be police.”
