Right, so.
As pro-Donald Trump rioters occupied the US Capitol building in Washington DC on Wednesday, breaking windows and vandalising one of the seats of the US legislature, the reaction was one of shock and anger.
From Americans and the wider world, condemnation for the scenes unfolding before the world’s eyes was swift, with world leaders urging a peaceful transfer of power, and a deescalation of the violence perpetrated by the violent mob.
Disgraceful scenes in U.S. Congress. The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 6, 2021
We believe in democracy.#WeAreOne pic.twitter.com/dj3hs66KKn
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) January 7, 2021
Inside the building, however, things appeared to be a lot less tense, with rioters seen lounging in the offices of elected politicians which they had broken into, and sauntering out of the building after looting it.
Those who unlawfully entered the Capitol seemed to do so with the confidence of people who were fully aware of the fact that violence was unlikely to be used against them by police, and footage of one police officer posing for a selfie with a rioter did little to dispel that notion.
The footage, posted on a streaming site by one of the pro-Trump mob, shows a cop pose for a selfie, before turning and nodding to the man next to him.
Cops are taking selfies with the terrorists. pic.twitter.com/EjkQ83h1p2
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) January 6, 2021
The calm scenes inside the Capitol after a violent rush from the rioters has led to criticism of the police in attendance and the discrepancy between the force used against insurrectionists and that used against peaceful anti-racism protesters who took to the streets of American cities last year to protest the unlawful death of George Floyd.
