'It's hard to see:' Cleanup efforts continue as Kenosha businesses board up, spread messages

KENOSHA, Wis. - Several businesses near downtown Kenosha have been burned to the ground amid unrest that followed the police shooting of Jacob Blake on Sunday. Those left standing have decided to board up, and artists have added color and messages that they want the community to see.

"We've been boarding up the entire downtown area. With that being secure, we've moved to the uptown area," said Alexandria Binanti, a cleanup organizer. 

It's a sound you just can't miss in Kenosha as dozens of people drill boards to buildings. After the recent destruction, uptown businesses are not sure what Wednesday night will bring.

"We've been really trying to get people in the streets to help do cleanup efforts," Binanti said.  

It has been an all-hands-on-deck effort after the unrest that began Sunday night, following the shooting.

"It's hard to see what's happening. It's also even harder to see why it's happening," said Sara Cummings, who volunteered to help with Wednesday's boarding effort. "The fact that a man was shot seven times in the back. That's the most upsetting thing to know.

"We want justice. We want to make sure the police officers held accountable for their actions."

In Kenosha's downtown, boards are being brightened and creativity is flowing. Community artists and people of all ages are calling for change.

"Grab some paint and let it flow," said Trenton Trulo. "It's traumatizing. It doesn't make me feel good. This was my community at one point.

"We're all equal. All of us. We're all equal."  

Trulo and his girlfriend are using brushes to help spread a message -- preserving as they paint with a purpose.

"We're not going to stop fighting until we get what we want," said Madison Sedlock.

Community organizers told FOX6 News that hundreds of businesses in the downtown and uptown Kenosha areas have been boarded up. Artists that participated in the effort are from Kenosha, Chicago and other cities.