Donald Trump to visit Kenosha as tensions boil over in two American cities


The tensions in American cities were on display overnight.

We witnessed repeated clashes between protesters and police in Washington, just a few hundred metres north of the White House.

Black Lives Matter activists were pushed back by a phalanx of heavily protected officers, and the sound of pyrotechnic flash-bang grenades echoed around the streets of the capital.

Many protesters demanded - face-to-face, from a few inches away - that the police halt their aggressive tactics.

There were also clashes overnight in Portland, in Oregon, as pro-Trump supporters fought with BLM anti-racist activists.

One was shot dead in Portland, Oregon. Credit: AP

There were ugly scenes as Donald Trump loyalists unleashed paintball pellets and bear spray into crowds.

Amid the confusion, an unidentified gunman opened fire, killing a man on the streets.  Police and paramedics tried to revive him, but he died at the scene.

All of this turmoil played out as President Trump announced he would be visiting Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday.

It's a highly inflammatory move.  


What kind of reception is President Trump likely to get in Kenosha?

President Trump has expressed no empathy for the protests that have taken place since the shooting in the town of Jacob Blake, the 29-year Black man, who remains paralysed in a Wisconsin hospital.

Indeed, the President has spoken only of imposing law and order on the town - saying he could achieve it within hours if federal forces were given additional power.As the election campaign accelerates, and with Trump descending into the community at the heart of the racial tensions, this week could be another pivotal moment as America grapples with race and its bitterly polarised politics.