HOW WHITE PRIVILEGE PLAYED OUT IN THE CAPITOL RAID

On January 6, news was put out that A Trump supporting mob broke into the US Capitol. 4 people died, and the evening as a whole was wrapped up slowly and without urgency. Why? Perhaps, it could be due to the fact that this crowd was white, and carries a privilege that some of us can only dream of. Now let's imagine this exact situation again, but instead of raging Trump supporters, the crowd was made up of Black Lives Matter protesters. What would’ve happened then?

What happened at the Capitol on January 6?

After Trump fed his followers false information about the presidential election, thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol. Members of Congress were forced to hide under desks, evacuate to a secret bunker, and protect voter ballots. Rioters ransacked the office, taking pictures, fighting police, and destroying the Capitol. Rioters waved flags as they smashed windows and the public could not do anything but watch on television screens.

Black Lives Matter protests

Now let’s compare this situation, with the BLACK LIVES MATTER protest that has been going on since May. Well for starters, the police weren’t nearly as proactive about the riot at the U.S. capitol as they were with BLM protesters. Police officers did not treat this mob with the same force and aggression as they did with the BLM protesters. BLM's protesters were faced with batons, flash bang grenades, and tear gas. They treated BLM with violence and unnecessary weapons, leaving scars on activists like Helm who still have them to this day. Meanwhile, police treat situations such as Trump supporters breaking into the U.S. capital without urgency because of their own biases and prejudice.

What this shows about white privilege

Activist Chanelle Helm said she frustrated when she saw, “a white, pro-Trump mob storm the US Capitol — breaking down barricades, smashing windows, and striking police officers — without obvious consequence.” The truth is, no other race or ethnicity could’ve gotten away with this. If people of color (POC) even tried to do something like storming the Capitol, they would have gotten shot down immediately. The Trump supporter riot got a pass because of their skin color. They had the privilege to take ‘selfies’ with cops and be escorted down the stairs. Law enforcement didn’t handle this mob the same way they would’ve and have handled POC in the past when POC had the audacity to be who they are and fight for what they deserve.