As many Americans have discussed lately, on January 6th the Capitol Building was attacked by Trump supporters who believe that the election was “stolen” and that Trump “won by a landslide” despite the evidence to the contrary. In this attack on the Capitol Building, there didn’t seem to be much resistance from security or police, some of whom even seemed to be helping these terrorists, such as in one video, which showed police opening the gates for them.
This event has angered many people not only for the blatant attack on the democratic process, but also for the difference from the usual aggressive response from authorities, when peaceful protests were met with violence. Many are concerned that the police appeared to do little to stop the terrorists assaulting this building full of some of the most important political figures in America, whereas during the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, they led a violent response against these largely peaceful events. It is hard to ignore the difference in responses, with people protesting police brutality being tear-gassed and shot at with rubber bullets as well as beaten, leaving many people with severe injuries, while terrorists, who essentially attempted a coup, were taking selfies with the people who were supposed to be defending the Capitol Building.
This event has left many Americans feeling disgusted and humiliated at the actions of their fellow Americans with how the rioters disrespected and attacked not only one of the most important buildings in America but also the process of a fair election. However, some attempted to shift blame from Trump and his supporters onto the group Antifa (which is a left wing movement who are against racism and fascism), despite the numerous people who showed their faces and publicly announced their involvement as Trump supporters. While this attack surprised most, others were not shocked as they had seen Trump supporters discussing the attack weeks in advance, in addition to discussing another attack planned on January 19th. This attack was a historic event, and what will happen in the weeks to follow is uncertain.