Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian is requesting $30 million from Gov. Tony Evers in an effort to rebuild the city following a week of unrest.
Antaramian requested the money from Evers on Sunday, a week after the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Blake was shot several times in the back by Kenosha Police Officer Rusten Sheskey. Since then, protesters have marched every night in Kenosha.
“Kenosha is a safe community with hardworking individuals who are mourning and facing immense tragedy and devastation,'' said Antaramian, in a press release. “We’re asking the state and community partners to help rebuild what was lost and to invest in programs and training for our young people.”
The damage, according to Antaramarian, has been caused by violent demonstrators and rioters, who he says are "led largely by people from outside the city."
The Kenosha Police Department on Sunday said that 175 people had been arrested in connection to the unrest in Kenosha. Of that, 102 of the people arrested had addresses listed outside of the city.
“The City of Kenosha has experienced a significant economic impact, both our small business owners and large corporate tenants who have lived and worked here for generations,” said Common Council President David Bogdala in a press release. “We need to move quickly to provide aid to our local businesses so we can get people back to work and enjoying our beautiful city.”
The city plans to use the money requested to cover property damage, housing and business revitalization, and costs incurred by the city during the recent unrest.
As of Monday morning, Evers has not released a statement in response.
