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Riot or Protest?

1/26/2021

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Picture
January 6th, the day “protesting” took a dark turn. The Capitol, the heart of American lawmaking, was stormed by force and the sacred corridors of justice and democracy ransacked and ravaged. 

On that morning, thousands of Trump supporters amassed to join what was initially intended as a peaceful rally before events began to skew out of control.  Significant numbers began to march down Pennsylvania Avenue, towards the Capitol, the mood darkening and becoming more inflamed. The aim of the protesters was simple: to disrupt the Electoral College’s vote, in order to delay President Trump’s removal from office. 

Needless to say, the day descended into what will surely become regarded as a dark stain on American history and politics. The protestors turned into an angry baying mob, shouting “where’s Nancy?”, invading offices, and stealing precious and classified Capitol articles. 

These people entered the Capitol illegally, forced lawmakers to quarantine, but incredibly, in some elements of the right wing conservative press are still called “protesters”. To some this has moved beyond some kind of demented partisan joke to something a whole lot more sinister.  Peaceful Black Lives Matter protests in June were labeled “riots” by many and this has raised discussion and debate as to how much influence the press has on our perception of events. To what extent is the press helping to sustain systemic racism and discrimination? What, we need to ask,  is the media trying to communicate? The BLM movement was non-violent, with protestors knowing that unprovoked violence was not only illegal but undesirable. 

I can understand the media’s view to a certain point. Admittedly, the BLM protests were followed with mass looting and chaos, but these were riots, organised by people using the BLM’s voice as a scapegoat. It was pure manipulation, and the media should have seen through it. It is their job to deliver accurate news, but they have failed us and it is fair to question whether it is a deliberate failing or not.

Moreover, it is not just the press whose response differed wildly. The police response too was vastly different. BLM protesters were sent running as federal agents released gas and fired rubber bullets at them. What about the capitol rioters on the other hand? No federal agents called. No rubber bullets. No gas. The Capitol Police were overrun, beaten, and badly prepared. Some officers appeared to show no resistance, letting rioters leave the building without being arrested. 

We live in the 21st century, a world of complexity and nuance, but we still don’t or won’t understand the difference between a riot and a protest?

Dear media, dear police, next time, before you go out of your way to brand and label events, perhaps it would be a good idea to check with the dictionary first.

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    Julia Massa

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    • Book Reviews >
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    • Little Women Review
    • Why Amber is the unsung hero of Sofia the First
    • The Two Popes Film Review: A Cinematic Sleeping Pill
    • Why I’m Not Watching Trailers Anymore
    • The Last Black Man In San Francisco: The Best Film Of 2019 That Nobody Is Talking About
  • Current Affairs
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      • Wake up, Boris Johnson
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    • Covid-19 Vaccine
    • Samsung Digital Cockpit
    • Riot or Protest?
    • Robot Baristas
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    • Stairs: Would we be better off without them?
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    • Apple TV 4K
    • Contortion: An Introduction
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    • Know Your French Fries
    • Why 'OK, Boomer' Is Not The 'N-Word of Ageism'
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    • The 6th Mass Extinction
    • Climate Countdown
    • I'm Dreaming Of A Green Christmas
    • What Busy People Need To Know About >
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      • Australian Bushfires
      • Hurricane Dorian
      • Greta Thunberg
      • Melting Ice
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      • Yishun: The Devil's Ring
      • A World With No Borders
      • An Interview With The Divers At The Heart Of The Thai Cave Rescue
      • The Mountains
      • The Day I Woke Up In Troy
      • In Japan
      • Pertinus the Tenacious
    • Current Affairs Archive >
      • Riot vs. Protest
      • #BLM What You Need To Know
      • A World Of Performative Activism
      • Entrepreneurship: The Key To Go From Zero To Hero
      • Why The U.S-Iran Conflict Is Sure To Escalate
      • Why India’s Citizenship Bill And Its Effects Are More Serious Than We Originally Thought
      • The Rise Of Bitcoin In 2019
      • Hurricane Delta
      • Why Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's Murder Is More Significant Than We Originally Thought
      • Why Do Many Technology Startups Fail?
      • What Is The Trump-Ukraine Crisis And What Are Its Effects?
      • Ending The Hong Kong Protests - A Guide For Dummies
      • Why Brexit is Going Nowhere
      • Ending the Yemen War: A Guide for Dummies
      • India-Pakistan Conflict: A Dummies Guide
    • Editorial Archive >
      • Singapore's Latest Nuisance: Electric Scooters
      • Why Artificial Intelligence is the Future of Humanity
      • Self Driving Cars, The Future of The Automotive Industry
      • Should We Really Be Afraid Of Artificial Intelligence?
      • Something Is Rotten In The Heart of Tanglin's Head Team
      • Boeing 737 Max 8: A Question of Safety
      • A World in the Dark
      • The Day That Siri Died
      • Does Brandy Melville Fit into the Future of Fashion?
      • #NOFILTERPOETRY
      • World Cup Conspiracies
      • Is Money Really That Great?
      • Why I Hate Valentine's Day
      • How We Became Enslaved To The Social Media Overlords
      • The Projector VS Golden Village
      • A Little Red Dot
    • Entertainment Archive >
      • The Diary of Taylor Swift's Cats
      • Champions League Comebacks
      • It's Bruno, Possibly The Weirdest Show On Netflix?
      • Why Being a Film Fan in Singapore Kinda Sucks...
      • Fortnite Vs Apex: Let Battle Commence
      • The Dying Art Of One Direction Fanfiction
      • Taylor Swift Cancels Concert At The Melbourne Cup
      • Haji Lane
      • To All The Boys I've Loved Before
      • Thor Ragnarok film review
      • The Ring of Fury - Why Now?
      • The Films You Missed in 2018
      • Kingsman: The Golden Circle
  • Category