Protests broke out across the country hours after Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted on murder charges. Rittenhouse claimed he acted in self-defense when he shot three people during a protest in Kenosha in August 2020.

The protests were mostly peaceful, though there were reports of violence in several cities.

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, a small group of protesters gathered outside the courthouse. While local businesses boarded up their windows in anticipation of violence, the situation remained "pretty quiet," CNN'sNatasha Chen reported.

In New York City, hundreds of people marched across the Brooklyn Bridge and took a knee during a moment of silence for Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, and Anthony Huber, 26, the two men who were fatally shot by Rittenhouse.

In Queens, several people were arrested for causing property damage.

In California, peaceful protests were held in Oakland and San Francisco. Six suspects were arrested in connection with the robbery of a Louis Vuitton store in San Francisco that left it "emptied out." It is unclear if the robbery was related to the protests.

In Portland, Oregon, the police declared a riot after a protest turned violent, with reports of clashes between left- and right-wing protestors. Rioters smashed windows and vandalized vehicles near the Multnomah County Justice Center. At one point, the crowd tried to breach the front gate of the Justice Center.

"An estimated 10 to 20 protesters entered and began moving down the ramp in the direction of the jail entrance and the building's critical infrastructure. Individuals also placed large tree branches to prevent the gate from closing. Deputies met the trespassers on the ramp to prevent entry and began instructing them to exit. The crowd, which was described as hostile, launched urine, alcoholic beverages, water bottles, and batteries at deputies during the event," the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.

Officers used a mobile sound truck, and the crowd eventually dissipated. One person was arrested, and five people were given citations.

Donnie McClurkin

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