Soon-to-be-former President Donald Trump has put on many performances during his presidency, but his last one has become the most astonishing and most destructive.
As Capitol Hill was stormed by Trump supporters in a final bid to overturn the election results, capitol police stood there as spectators, just using their hand gestures to stop the angry mob.
All of this has exposed the pervasive discrimination as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests were treated in a completely different way than this. BLM protests were peaceful with a prominent objective based on the constitution of the country to eradicate the persisting discrimination in the country based on racial grounds.
When they entered Washington, BLM protestors were welcomed with tear gas, sticks, rubber bullets, kicks, and police officers’ punches. On the other hand, Trump supporters wearing fancy costumes stormed the highest office in the United States with no obstruction from the police at all.
Instead, police officers were seen opening the doors for the rioters to march and capture Congress.
How did the police’s reaction against the BLM protests differ from that of the white supremacists’ attack on the US Congress? Let’s have a look.
BLM Protests VS. Capitol Hill Storming: How Police Promoted White Privilege
The BLM protestors gathered a block away from the White House on June 1 to protest against the murder of George Floyd. It was a peaceful protest with no intention of attacking any federal office, but the reaction of the police was unexpected. With tear gas and rubber bullets, the capitol police, reinforced by 5,000 National Guard troops, treated this peaceful protest in a disproportionate way. A National Guard commander later acknowledged that they used excessive force against the BLM protestors.
However, the Capitol Hill attack was not stopped by police. It was clearly seen in the videos that some police officers opened the gates to Congress for the Republicans rioters.
Let us compare the recent attack on Capitol Hill with the Black Lives Matter protests to clarify certain points.
The Black Lives Matter protest was for a humanitarian cause. It was against the systematic racism that is embedded in the United States’ social structure and has been sinking society for ages.
On the other hand, the Capitol Hill storming was a political and extraconstitutional move to overturn the election result and destroy the decorum of the Congress.
BLM protestors wanted reforms in the system for an inclusive society; Capitol Hill attackers wanted to sabotage the ever-lasting democratic process of the country. They were driven by the fascist ideology propagated by Donald Trump.
Another difference between these two incidents is that the BLM protestors were Americans who wanted to condemn racism and discrimination against Black Americans and other minority groups.
At the same time, the Capitol Hill attack was carried out by the white majority who wanted to see Donald Trump as their president despite the sweeping victory of Joe Biden in the electoral college.
It is an obvious case of white privilege, as we saw that Capitol Hill attackers stormed the most privileged branch of the government—i.e., the legislature—without any police resistance. Rioters were seen smiling at the camera while stealing the Speaker’s podium. They brought international shame to the country. Still, they were encouraged to do so by no one other than the president of the country.
According to research conducted by the Independent, black people were six times more likely to be stopped and searched by the police over the last decade compared to white people. The research also suggests a 39 percent increment rate in stop-and-search of Black Americans during 2018 and 2019.
The man wearing a horned hat like Indigenous Americans, Jake Angeli, aka QAnon Shaman, is a well-known conspiracy theorist and even has a Wikipedia page. Astonishingly, most of the attackers belong to well-known far-right groups.
There was also the founder of Proud Boys Hawaii, Nick Ochs, with a cigarette in his mouth. Leader of Pro-Gun Rights Group, Richard Barnett, was seen sitting on the Speaker’s chair with his legs on her table. Despite having such strong criminal profiles, they were not stopped by police during the congressional siege.
The Final Nail in Trump’s Coffin:
The Trump era is finally over with a last-minute, astonishing performance.
It is strange to even imagine that the incumbent president thought he could stop the certification process by capturing Congress.
A man who could launch an attack on the capitol building is well capable of doing other horrific things. This is one of the prominent reasons why Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged the military to take care of the US nuclear codes, as the chief commander has shown an inability to rule the country.
As Mike Pence declined Trump’s request to overturn the election results, it is the responsibility of Pence to invoke the 25th amendment to remove Trump from office. It is also a possibility that Trump may ask Mike Pence to grant him the presidential pardon.
However, it is the responsibility of Mike Pence not to indulge himself in any controversial activity that could raise eyebrows regarding his political morals. It is also a point to ponder for the federal agencies that they must revise their attitude, which seems to be driven on racial grounds.
According to the law, they must behave without considering that the protest is being done by the BLM activists or the white supremacists. The police should encourage the movements against racism instead of performing ethnic cleansing on them.
As Trump destroyed the Republican party and looks forward to a 2024 election campaign, it is necessary to understand that an imminent impeachment will get him in trouble as he won’t be able to run for the presidency again if convicted.
Eli is a Political Data Scientist with over thirty years of experience in Data Engineering, Analytics, and Digital Marketing. Eli uses his expertise to give the latest information and distinctive analysis on US Political News, US Foreign Affairs, Human Rights, and Racial Justice equipping readers with the inequivalent knowledge.