Kyle Rittenhouse’s Trial Has Raised Discussions Surrounding the Safety of Protesting

Danielle Smith, professor of African American Studies and director of the Renée Crown University Honors Program in the College of Arts and Sciences, wrote commentary for Syracuse.com, “The idea that Americans should be afraid to protest is a threat to our democracy.”

In Smith’s commentary, she discussed the trial of Kyle Rittenhouse and the commentary that has ensued since it began. She said, ‘Those who claim to support Rittenhouse actually do not care for him nor his family. They are hypocrites who use a child for their own cynical agenda. None of them would want their child to be in his predicament. A flaw in their belief system is their merciless legitimization and glorification of violence.’