{"id":10333,"date":"2021-01-08T00:42:17","date_gmt":"2021-01-07T13:42:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/?post_type=articles&p=183791"},"modified":"2021-02-04T23:03:34","modified_gmt":"2021-02-04T23:03:34","slug":"us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-vs-black-lives-matter-protests","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/graziamagazine.com\/us\/articles\/us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-vs-black-lives-matter-protests\/","title":{"rendered":"The Attack On The Capitol Perfectly Illustrated White Supremacy In Action"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"us
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: Pro-Trump supporters storm the US Capitol following a rally with President Donald Trump on January 6, 2021 in Washington, DC. Trump supporters gathered in the nation’s capital today to protest the ratification of President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over President Trump in the 2020 election. (Photo by Samuel Corum \/ Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Wednesday evening in Washington DC, hundreds of pro-Trump rioters, egged on by the President himself, charged to the US Capitol, where Congress was set to certify Joe Biden\u2019s presidency. After making their way to Capitol Hill, the mob proceeded to push past police and break into the Capitol building, smashing windows, looting and rioting, as members of Congress were forced to lock themselves in rooms and shelter in place. Trump, who had told his followers he\u2019d join them, instead watched the scenes from the safety of the White House, later releasing a video telling his supporters \u201cI love you\u201d and calling them \u201cvery special\u201d and \u201cgreat patriots.\u201d His message resulted in Twitter suspending his account for the first time in his presidency, as well as both Instagram and Facebook swiftly deactivating his social media profiles.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The violent protest, which was watched by millions around the world, was baffling, confusing and, as Rep. Joyce Beatty put it, absolutely ridiculous. It showed just how divided the USA has become, just how important a President\u2019s words are, and how vastly different the responses to violence are when it\u2019s white people at the center.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Despite the mob being, in some cases, heavily armed, overtly aggressive and violent, breaking windows into government offices and looting, law enforcement seemed incredibly slow to take control of the situation, their response vastly different to the mostly peaceful Black Lives Matter protests just six months earlier.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 06: Protesters supporting US President Donald Trump break into the US Capitol on January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session today to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s 306-232 Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. Pro-Trump protesters entered the US Capitol building during demonstrations in the nation’s capital. (Photo by Win McNamee \/ Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On June 1st, when Black Lives Matter protestors gathered a block away from the White House – making no attempt to enter the building – the crowd was charged by the Washington police and more than 5,000 National Guard troops. The peaceful protesters were tear-gassed while batons and horses were used to clear a block so that Trump could stage a photo op outside of a church. <\/span><\/p>\n

Unlike his response to last night’s riot, during Black Lives Matter, Trump called those on the streets \u2018thugs,\u2019 quickly deploying the National Guard to Washington, DC and his own special forces to select cities and <\/span>threatening participants<\/span><\/a> with \u201cMINIMUM TEN YEARS IN PRISON\u201d should they vandalize public property – just imagine what he would have said should protestors have turned their sights to the Capitol Building!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

This is what the Capitol steps looked like during BLM protests, for the record. pic.twitter.com\/recG2hCmFj<\/a><\/p>\n

— Dani Beck (@_DaniBeck) January 6, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n