"Approximately 500 Wisconsin Army National Guard troops are reporting for State Active Duty as authorized by Gov. Tony Evers to support local partners in ensuring public safety … Members of the Wisconsin National Guard will stage outside Kenosha in a standby status to respond if requested by local law enforcement agencies," the office said in a press release circulated by reporters on Twitter.
The decision was made several days before the expected end of Rittenhouse’s trial, the verdict of which is expected to come sometime next week. Rittenhouse faces charges including murder for shooting three men, killing two, during racial justice riots in Kenosha in August 2020.
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Evers in the statement urged people with plans to travel to Kenosha to reconsider them. He also encouraged those who do plan to demonstrate to do so safely and peacefully.
Both the prosecution and defense teams have concluded their cases, with closing arguments scheduled for Monday of next week. The jury will then receive instructions from Judge Bruce Schroeder before deliberating on a verdict, which could take hours or days.
The National Guard deployed to the city will not be allowed to impede the ability of people to peacefully protest or the media to report, the press release said.