One Year After Capital Riots

Last year on January 6th over 2000 rioters attacked and broke into the Capitol Hill located in Washington, D.C. with some saying this was being commended by former president Donald Trump. This enraged coup erupted because of the 2020 presidential election, where Trump was defeated when running for his second term by democrat politician Joe Biden. Trump spoke to his supporters about the unfair electoral votes counted by congress leading to this unforeseen event.

Large amount of the media blamed Donald Trump for influencing this attack when making a speech about rioting outside the Capitol Hill. These attacks caused mayhem on Capitol Hill destruction of property, trespassing, and assault. Junior Blaise Romero gives his input about whether Trump is fully responsible for these attacks. Romero goes to say, “I don’t think he’s necessarily responsible but I’m sure he did play a role and a part and had an influence on why these protesters did it,” not giving full blame to our former president but yet should take some responsibility for his supporters who physically established these attacks.

President Trump made claims that his supporters were overly slandered by the media. He claimed that his followers were “peaceful people” and “patriots” of our country.  Pedro Garica says why this is a false claim in this statement,“No I don’t agree they were mere protests because they destroyed capitol property,” With the destruction of property and the assault on the police officers Pedro disagrees that these were peaceful people and more of complete rioters in this situation.

Many news outlets and viewers who saw this atrocity unfold, think that Trump should be criminally charged for stirring a coup and for causing damage to the Capitol Hill building. Student Daniel Miranda states the following about the topic, “For Trump letting this attack carry out, it should be considered a crime, ” Miranda favors the public eye on this subject that Trump should have been criminally charged for his actions. 

Many anti-riot police officers at Capitol Hill were assaulted during January 6th of last year, as well as officer Brian D. Sicknick who sadly lost his life in this attack and the following days there was a memorial placed for the officer. Jio Montelongo gives his thoughts on why these protectors of Capitol Hill deserve some reward for their braveness. Montelongo states that, “ I think they should be rewarded some type of prosperity because of them trying to help protect Capitol Hill and keep everyone safe.” Montelongo expresses his thoughts on all the officers at Capitol Hill.

This riot was a bad example to many people of what is a proper way of speaking up and letting your voice be heard for your cause or for what you are fighting for. Romero shares why this “protest” was not a proper way of protesting in the following statement, “It had a lot of aggression, people acted out, and it just was not a peaceful protest.” He comments on the wrongs of this protest and just why this wasn’t a peaceful protest at all.

The 6th of January of last year will be remembered as a non defining moment for former president Trump. NPR’s Tom Bowman states what he witnessed at Capitol Hill that day,”I was standing amid thousands of Trump supporters on the lawn rising up to the Washington Monument,”.