On Jan. 6, 2021, a group of people expressed their opinions about the election and broke into the Capitol Building while Congress counted the final votes of the election. According to our Lotus Leaf staff, 78.3 percent agreed that the Capitol raid was unjustified. 8.7 percent said it was justified to people just maybe not to others. Of the staff, 18  people said yes, two said no, and three abstained out of 25 in total.  

What started it all?

The President earlier that day had a rally talking about how the election and his thoughts about the results. At the end of the rally, the president proceeded to say to his contributors that “we are going to walk down to the capitol and I will be there with you.” That is when the rallyers walked down to the capitol the show no “weakness” like their president told them to. That’s when the aggression started as they showed up and forced their way into the building some being heavily armed.

The decision room was breached and there is footage of a firearm sound firing in the room where the congress was proceeding. Many offices and decor in the Capitol were destroyed in the process of the attackers making their way inside the building.

The president was not seen at the building or in any of the protests.

How did this attack go from protest to terrorism?

First of all, normally to have a tour of the Capitol building or enter it for that matter, there are several steps to be taken. First, people must contact their representatives or make an appointment online. Also, the visitors center is usually the only place people who do not work in the building can enter.

Protesting is to disapprove of someone’s actions and saying or doing something to make them know that you object. In normal circumstances, this is shown with a petition or maybe even a sit in. But, nowhere in this definition is the use of force or weapons. 

On the other hand, terrorism is defined by the Oxford dictionary as: the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims. Seeing as there were weapons on site and physical harm brought to both cops and civilians, the attack on the Capitol fits the definition. 

The difference between white privilege and white supremacy

The countermeasures made against the attackers were insufficient compared to the measures that would have been taken if the attackers were a minority.

When comparing the attack on the Capitol to the Black Lives Matter movement, it is important to know the difference between white privilege and supremacy. 

White privilege is an inherent advantage possessed by a white person on the basis of their race in a society characterized by racial inequality and injustice. This is seen by the overall confidence of the protesters that they will not be held accountable for their actions. 

White supremacy is the belief that white people constitute a superior race and should therefore dominate society. This is seen by the treatment of the rioters from the police compared to the treatment of the Black Lives Matter protesters. 

Overall, it is okay to presume that If these protesters were people of color that there would have been more measures taken by the police.