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Facebook removes Kenosha Guard militia account after shooter kills two at protest

Facebook has removed a local self-declared militias page and a related event following the events that unfolded last night in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Two people were killed and another was wounded when a man believed to be 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse allegedly began firing on a group protesting the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man shot in the back while walking away from officers and approaching his car.

A series of videos from the night depict law enforcement officers at the protest having friendly conversations with a group of men carrying guns, even offering them bottled water and expressing appreciation for their presence.

How the armed counter-demonstrators organized their presence and what groups they are affiliated with has not yet been reported.

Prior to the nights events, a Facebook account called Kenosha Guard published an event to gather armed citizens to protect our lives and property. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a post by the now-removed account attempted to rally patriots willing to take up arms and defend City tonight from the evil thugs.

Two different Facebook users reported the Kenosha Guard account last night before the shooting took place, but in both cases Facebook determined the event and account were not in violation of its policies, the Verge reported.

In a statement to TechCrunch, Facebook said that it removed the group, the event page and the suspected shooters accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

However, the Kenosha Guard Page and their Event Page violated our new policy addressing militia organizations and have been removed on that basis.

Facebook is currently monitoring its platform for content praising the shooting and plans to remove anything that meets its threshold for inciting serious violence.

Original article
Author: Taylor Hatmaker

TechCrunch is a leading technology media property, dedicated to obsessively profiling startups, reviewing new Internet products, and breaking tech news.

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