Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said Tuesday that individuals involved in the violent demonstrations in Milwaukee, where sporadic gunfire and the burning of businesses began on Saturday, should not be mistaken for protesters.
“I think what you saw the other day are a specific group of individuals who used this to target businesses and commit criminal acts,” Walker told Fox News.
Walker declared a state of emergency in Milwaukee County on Sunday after violence broke out Saturday night in response to the fatal shooting of an armed black man by police. The Republican governor also activated the state’s National Guard over the weekend after a gas station was lit on fire and businesses were looted.
“I think part of it, unfortunately, is you have people looking to target these businesses who ended up being criminals,” he said. “If you’re going to burn up a business like the gas station that was targeted and some of the others — they are criminals.”
Walker continued, “I think they were looking for an excuse to do this and they tried to join the guise of a protest, and I give praise not only to law enforcement but to many of the pastors and faith-based leaders who said we got to get this under control.”
