The Temple of Democracy was under attack on January 6, 2020. This was planned and coordinated by American citizens who were members of far-right political groups. They were under the now disapproved belief that the Presidential election results against former President Trump were rigged. These insurgents held riots in the Capitol and vandalized government property.
It is now claimed that President Trump prompted the insurgents to rally against the voting ceremony of that particular election. Feelings of extreme patriotism mingled with the right dose of conspiracy theories and falsified claims led to the riots on Capitol Hill. President Trump could not be directly blamed, but it is now a belief that his inciting words and actions were contributing factors.
The major groups who were allegedly involved in the riots were the Oath Keepers and the Liberty Defenders. In a video posted by the NY Times, a rioter comments that these riots are not for elections but for the soul of the USA and the ‘American dream' . Signages of ‘Save America’ and ‘Recount every vote’ were displayed by the rioters. The Capitol Hill police, who were responsible for protection, failed to withstand the sea of rioters. The prototype of a noose was also displayed by the protestors, presumably a threat towards what they described as unjust and rigged electoral results.
After the injury of 140 policemen, the arrests and indictments of those involved are now making headlines. A poll done by the news organization POLITICO, a Gemrnay-based news organization showed responses from the American public about the Capitol riots. The reactions were mixed as 50% blamed President Trump for the riots. The other percentage held media and specifically the coverage of social media as the culprit.
Specifically talking about The Oath Keepers, their website portrayed themselves as a rights activist organization working to defend the American constitution. The leader, Elmer Stewart Rhodes III, was sentenced to 25 years of prison on May 25, 2023. Alongside, more than a thousand individuals have been arrested for the riots. 47% of the thousand rioters have received criminal charges for engaging in violence. Rhodes is standing alleged to orchestrate the riots. He urged his fellow oath keeper members to be prepared for a ‘civil war.’ According to the Department of Justice of the USA, Rhodes was charged with seditious conspiracy.
The defendants have retaliated against the charges. They have argued that the Department of Justice’s definition of ‘Obstruction of Justice’ is broad enough to sentence any person to 20 years of jail term. They have questioned the federal prosecutor's definition of corruption. To prove the defendants guilty, the prosecutors must show that the defendants acted illegally and were benefitting President Trump. Key advisors during Trump’s administration, Steve Bannon and Meadows have also participated in the investigation. A Republican politician from Wyoming, Liz Cheney, detailed the findings of the investigation by the House committee. She directly blamed former President Trump for the riots. President Trump has denied that he has taken any wrong steps.
The arrest of Capitol rioters arrives at a crucial point in American politics. Former President Trump is running for elections for the second time. The domestic conditions of the USA with school shootings and violence make the news daily. The chants of ‘Fake news’ have become familiar to American citizens. With the onset of aggressive use of social media as a propaganda tool and vote rigging allegations, will the USA be again divided along bipartisan lines for the election?
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1 comment
3 months ago by
shreeyawork73
Interesting read !
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