In the summer of 2020, the United States saw millions of Americans protest the murders of George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, Breonna Taylor, and countless other Black Americans by police.
While these protests were overwhelmingly peaceful, Republican politicians and far-right news outlets focused on isolated incidents of violence—at least some of which was committed by right wing activists—to paint these protests as riots.
Outgoing President Donald Trump frequently characterized protestors as looters, and appeared to call for violence against them with a tweet warning "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."
The conservative Fox News network repeatedly amplified the false characterization of these protests, with far-right hosts like Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity frequently lobbing racist attacks at protestors, while the news side of the network largely overemphasized the so-called chaos in American cities.
Now, Trump supporters are descending on Washington, D.C. ahead of the joint session of Congress to certify the national election results. The session will be overseen by Vice President Mike Pence, and Trump's supporters are erroneously hoping he'll wield power he doesn't have and throw out election results in multiple swing states.
On Tuesday night, Trump supporters clashed with police as they tried to infiltrate a line of officers.
Trump supporters are attacking the DC police at this moment. Who's Antifa now? pic.twitter.com/ZYIUUx8a80
— John Aravosis 🇺🇸🇬🇷🏳️🌈 (@aravosis) January 6, 2021
Fox News White House correspondent John Roberts appeared on Fox News after a mention of the clashes with police.
When pro-Trump demonstrators clash with police Fox News describes it as 'passions running high on both sides'
Surely not how they described similar situations during BLM protests pic.twitter.com/c3yBayCHKN
— Lis Power (@LisPower1) January 6, 2021
Lis Power of Media Matters for America accused Roberts of bias for saying that "passions" were "running high on both sides," though it's unclear if he was describing the protests or the passions of lawmakers ahead of the joint session.
Regardless, people are still noting the hypocrisy of the "law and order" Trump supporters clashing with the police.
I thought blue lives mattered https://t.co/Zulx6XUldg
— ⚖️Imani Gandy ⚖️ (@AngryBlackLady) January 6, 2021
So, fighting the police is now part of Trumpists' definition of patriotism? 🤨
If Antifa=lawless thugs than what are these people?? 😡 https://t.co/Nw2RCbW9gO
— Tara Setmayer (@TaraSetmayer) January 6, 2021
MAGA Proud Boys terrorists and GOP Lunatics are clashing with police in Washington DC, you know, the police they claim to respect so much.pic.twitter.com/Ig6lm5sLLj
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) January 6, 2021
The campaign of "law and order" https://t.co/I28bxOVV1b
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 6, 2021
I'm confused because I thought this was the “blue lives matter" crowd. https://t.co/H0nu6d7gM6
— Justin Barasky (@JustinBarasky) January 6, 2021
I'm old enough to remember when this was the law-and-order, we-support-law-enforcement crowd. https://t.co/8idDeqTswr
— Julia Ioffe (@juliaioffe) January 6, 2021
The Trump administration infamously deployed federal law enforcement across the country and ordered them to tear gas peaceful protesters outside the White House so the President could take a photo with a bible.
People noticed these Trump supporters were getting much different treatment even while expressing aggression toward the police.
No one got shot in the face with rubber bullets though. No one losing an eye tonight. https://t.co/aaa6Nn75KR
— A Leather Bound Zoe (@HavenTheHaitian) January 6, 2021
Trump supporters fighting with police. Trump and Bill Barr had protesters teargassed last summer. https://t.co/4inTFy8p8a
— Laura Rozen (@lrozen) January 6, 2021
Violent protests are illegal and unacceptable in all cases.
So where are the federal officers to back up D.C. police? Are they resting up from beating up peaceful protesters in the same location last June? https://t.co/4bgAwAe1Ct
— Richard W. Painter (@RWPUSA) January 6, 2021
Where the riot gear, tear gas and guns at? https://t.co/KxB8nBnanz
— Malik Forté 🎤 (@Malik4Play) January 6, 2021
Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images
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