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LIVE UPDATES: Protesters Shut Down Michigan Avenue Following Kyle Rittenhouse Acquittal

/ CBS Chicago

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Protesters are marching in downtown Chicago following Kyle Rittenhouse's acquittal on all charges in his trial for fatally shooting two people and injuring a third in unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last year.

Jesse Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition are leading a group calling on the Department of Justice to investigate the trial, citing that a "mostly white jury" found him not guilty.

The protest began at Federal Plaza at 219 S. Dearborn at 2 p.m. In a press release, Jackson called the verdict in the case a "major blow against justice and open season by the violence of right-wing military" and referred to the 18-year-old as a "pop culture hero."

In court Friday, Rittenhouse broke down in tears, nearly collapsing as a court clerk announced the jury had found him not guilty of all charges. He had faced five counts, including charges of first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree intentional homicide, and attempted first-degree homicide. He faced up to life in prison had he been convicted.

There was no question Rittenhouse shot anyone, and the trial boiled down to whether he was legitimately acting in self-defense. He had been charged in connection with the shootings of three people in August 2020 during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse shot and killed Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and wounded Gaige Grosskreutz during the widespread civil unrest in Kenosha after Blake was shot by police.

Fox News' Tucker Carlson tweeted Rittenhouse's comment as he rode in the passenger seat of a car following the verdict.

"The jury reached the correct verdict. Self-defense is not illegal, and I believe they came to the correct verdict – and I'm glad that everything went well," Rittenhouse said in the video tweeted by Carlson. "It's been a rough journey, but we made it through it. We made it through the hard part."

Some supporters of Rittenhouse chanted "Second Amendment" after he was acquitted, while supporters of the men he shot lamented the not guilty verdict.

Things have remained calm in Kenosha throughout the trial and also remained so afterward, but Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers had called up the state's National Guard in preparation for the verdict.

LIVE UPDATES: 
2 p.m.: Protests begin at Federal Plaza
3:30 p.m.: Protest moves toward State Street
3:45 p.m.: Michigan Avenue is shut down near Millennium Park.

4 p.m.: Chicago Police hold a line at North State Street and West Randolph Street

4:11 p.m.: Protesters pass the Christkindl Market at North Dearborn Street and East Washington Street.

4:30 p.m.: Protesters returned to Federal Plaza.

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