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Black and Latinx folks are always met with violence when protesting, unlike white folks.
By Angelique Beluso — Written on Jan 08, 2021
The events on Capitol hill on Jan. 6 showed us that policing was not meant to keep us safe — it was meant to oppress people of color; particularly, the Black community.
When Pro-Trump rioters stormed the nation’s Capitol on Wednesday night, we saw how different the police response was compared to Black Lives Matter protests and other historical protests and riots led by Black and Brown communities.
The National Guard was called upon for assistance, but were unarmed and were only used to control the crowd of Trump supporters — which was predominantly made up of white people.
We all know that if Black or Brown folks stormed that Capitol, the response would be to respond with violence.
The difference in police response was palpable, and at this point, if you don’t notice that Black and Brown lives are undervalued, you’re definitely living in a bubble.
There have been so many riots in history led by Black and Brown communities in America, and the response has involved hoses, bullets, or even tanks and armored carriers.
For example, the 1967 Detroit riots against police brutality summoned 7,000 National Guards and U.S. Army troops.
Tanks and armored carriers were present. Hundreds of lives lost and thousands arrested.
This was one of the biggest riots in U.S. history, and showed how the U.S. is quick to use extensive military force on the Black community.
Historically marginalized communities have used rioting and looting as tactics when their voices have still gone unheard after peaceful protesting.
When this has happened, excessive force has always been used. Jan. 6's riot was met with nothing close to what BIPOC communities have faced.
To make matters worse, Ivanka Trump deleted a tweet calling pro-Trump rioters “American patriots.”
But this past summer, when Black Lives Matter protestors used rioting as a tactic against police brutality, they were told “violence isn’t the answer,” and used Martin Luther King Jr. and his legacy as justification.
No one is saying Trump supporters can’t protest, but why is it that excessive force is used against BIPOC communities so easily, but not against white folks?
Why is it that white folks are seen as patriots when they riot and use violence, but BIPOC communities are condemned to do the same? The hypocrisy is real.
I don’t think the answer to those questions are hard to figure out.
BIPOC communities are supposed to be okay with white supremacy, and if we’re not okay with it, we face even more white supremacist backlash.
Liberation is not going to be easy to achieve, but it’s exhausting.
Lastly, let’s not forget: In 1954, Puerto Rican nationalist Lolita Lebron stormed the House of Representatives with the hopes of bringing attention to Puerto Rico's struggle for independence.
She served 25 years in prison. Let’s see if any Pro-Trump “protestors” get the same treatment.
Angelique Beluso is a sex educator and writer who covers feminism, pop culture and relationship topics. Follow her on Twitter @AngeliqueBeluso.