“Deeply disturbing,” and “somewhat unsurprising” are just a few words that have been echoed around social media in the hours since a mob of white pro-Trump insurrectionists stormed the US Capitol building around 3 pm ET, yesterday, 6th January. Like watching a cross between a scene from Designated Survivor and The Walking Dead, troops of “protestors” (see: terrorists) embarked towards the US’s Capitol Hill with one common goal in mind - to take back the “stolen” presidency of Donald J. Trump.

On November 7th 2020 Joe Biden was announced as the president-elect for the United States of America, making him the 46th person to hold that title, and also the oldest president-elect in US history. The crowds began their ascent to the US’ parliamentary building at Capitol Hill at roughly 1pm ET, with over 5,000 strong participants gathering by the time things took a harrowing turn. Shortly after 3pm ET, social media and news outlets were flushed with images of assailants (some reportedly armed) storming one of the US’s most secure buildings in which a US congressional meeting was also taking place, and where the current second in command to Mr Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, as well as other Senate and House of Representatives members were in attendance.

“The Capitol Hill riot was not a coup. It was an attempt to preserve white supremacy…

- Azad Essa (Middle East Eye)

The violence comes shortly after the current president, Mr Trump, announced valiantly, highly inaccurately, and with the aim of inciting violence through his use of brandishing conspiracy theories that his supporters should reject the democracy-based presidential elections outcome which subliminally urged rioters to overtake the congress building, forcing statesmen & women to be evacuated for their own safety. During the attack reports emerged of the mob voicing that they needed to “take America back”, and idealistic as their failed coup may have appeared 4 lives, including that of a female airforce veteran, were lost on the grounds of the Capitol whilst others looted memorabilia, broke into private offices of Senate members, and more harrowingly accessed confidential government information and planted bombs. In what’s being described as a clear act of domestic terrorism, and extremism, there was unsurprisingly few arrests made, with the rioters being calmy escorted and ushered away from the site by the handful of police and national security present (which was a stark contrast to those deployed during peaceful BLM protests in June), even after the state-wide curfew was imposed at 6pm.

YouTube/Sky News

Needless to say, the embarrassing scenes that took place in America yesterday were not only criminal, illegal, wholly un-American and in clear violation of everything the constitution stands for - but sends a clear message to the millions of people of colour living in its 50 states that peace is possible from law enforcement, just sadly not towards them. The 50 arrests made out of thousands in attendance, the hesitant use of force, and crowd control tactics (aggressive or otherwise), the reproach and reprimanding of mobs desecrating a government building, and a president who closed of a speech which was supposed to chastise the terrorists bu telling them “you are special, we love you” all goes to show that a time for a change and a transition of power could not be coming any sooner for this banana republic.