Following the attack on the Capitol by pro-Trump insurrectionists on Jan. 6, questions about law enforcement’s response hang heavy in the minds and mouths of those who remember the Summer of 2020.
When protesters gathered in Washington D.C. to demonstrate against police brutality against Black Americans following the killing of George Floyd, they were met with an organized and militarized police force equipped with batons and pepper spray.
When Trump supporters stormed the Capitol intending to do harm to elected officials, requests to deploy the National Guard for backup were denied multiple times. The police response has been called feeble and unprepared. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) who chairs the appropriations subcommittee that oversees and funds the Capitol Police says the attack was an “epic failure” of policing.
Activists, community leaders and politicians want to know what was the difference in the police response from one situation to another? Many think we know the answer already.
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