SEIU Local 1 President Tom Balanoff Responds to the Kyle Rittenhouse Verdict

CHICAGO - The following is a statement from SEIU Local 1 President Tom Balanoff:

“It's another sad and shameful day for America's criminal justice system when a racist vigilante is allowed to walk the streets with a gun during a lawful protest, kill two protestors,  injure another, and insist he was the victim. 

“Kyle Rittenhouse's actions further demonstrate the racial chasm of our criminal justice system and how White Supremacy philosophies continue to painfully permeate the criminal justice system.

"SEIU Local 1 is a union that unites 50,000 working people across racial lines and different backgrounds. Local 1 will continue to work to dismantle the racism inherent in our society and fight for justice for Tamir Rice, Laquan McDonald, Walter Scott, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor and countless others. We will continue to advocate for dignity both in and out of the workplace where all working families, whether white, Black, or Brown, get a fair shot at getting ahead and can feel safe in their communities.” 

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Service Employees International Union Local 1 unites 50,000 workers throughout the Midwest, including janitors, security officers, higher education faculty, food service workers and others. Local 1 is committed to improving the lives of its members and all working people by winning real economic justice and standing at the forefront of the fight for immigrant, racial and environmental justice.