Saturday, March 20, 2021 | 2 a.m.
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The right-wing terrorist attack on the nation’s capital is often compared with or justified by using the Black Lives Matter protests of last year. The difference, though, is obvious.
The BLM protests (and every accompanying aspect of them) began as a result of egregious human rights violations against people of color, committed by law enforcement. The protesters were multiracial and overwhelmingly peaceful. Yes, there was looting, burning and theft committed by a few and, in nearly every city, right-wing agitators were arrested for possession of weapons and explosives, destruction of property and inciting violence. At every protest there were Boogaloo Bois, Proud Boys, Oath Keepers, Three Percenters and other jihadist right-wing groups. Bottom line: Injustice summoned people to the BLM protests.
There have been over 300 arrests from the Capitol insurrection, none of them identified as antifa. What was the overwhelmingly white horde protesting? Were their civil rights violated? Freedoms taken away? No, nearly everyone who attacked our democracy was there to subvert the Constitution and stop the peaceful transfer of power. They were there because they were so naïve as to believe the lies of their presidential candidate, who refused to accept the verdict of the American people.
That’s the difference between a civil rights protest and a jihadist insurrection to overthrow our government.
