A day after the attempted coup called for by Republican President Donald Trump, the scope of the national and local assault on democracy has been settling in.
The attack on Congress while they counted the electoral votes that showed that President-elect Joe Biden had won the election was shocking to the nation. And the fact that the white, right-wing, Trump supporters were able carry out an attempted coup has been widely noted as a prime example of racist inequity.
“If BLM [Black Lives Matter] stormed the Capitol,” noted New Britain activist leader Tre Brown, “arrests would’ve been made, tear gas would’ve been thrown, the National Guard would’ve been deployed and people of color would be murdered.”
Brown said that, “As shown on film, OFFICERS LET THE REAL THUGS GET INSIDE THE CAPITAL and all this president stated was ‘Protest peacefully and then go home. Respect our men in women in blue. I love you.'”
And, while most of the nation watched, in horror, the events in Washington, the State Capitol saw ugly events, too.
“Taking the oath of office outside wasn’t the biggest change,” to the normal opening the state legislative term of office, recounted State Rep. Peter Tercyak (D-26), the senior member of the New Britain state delegation.
“Hundreds of protesters, some with bullhorns, yelled insults throughout the entire ceremony,” said Rep. Tercyak, saying the protesters took advantage of the legislative session being held outdoors because of COVID-19 to disrupt the democratic proceedings.
“Protesters were pressed up against the portable barriers almost as close behind us as the Secretary of the State was in front of us,” said Rep. Tercyak. “It was impossible to hear most of the ceremony because of the din. Protesters were quite comfortable yelling obscenities and insults that were clearly and easily heard.”
“It was quite disappointing,” said Rep. Tercyak. “I didn’t think politics had reached so low in Connecticut that a barely in control crowd would try to overwhelm our government. Yet the anti-vaxers, anti-maskers, anti-government, anti-Governor, anti-science, anti shut-down people found common ground in their goal to stop our government in it’s tracks. And did their best.”
“I went home thinking this was important news,” said Rep. Tercyak. “I looked forward to learning more about that crowd on the local evening news.”
But Rep. Tercyak was about the learn about the even worse news out of the nation’s capitol that day. “We all saw the unimaginable,” said Rep. Tercyak. “Terrorists attacking our Capitol.”
Democratic activist and leader Veronica DeLandro summed up the chaotic assault on democracy at the nation’s Capitol, saying, “4 deaths, only 26 arrests, an insurrection, attempted coup, security breach and and break-in at the U.S. Capitol by a mob of white supremacists, a string of resignations from #45 administration and White House staff, flip flopping floor speeches by Republicans and several failed attempts to object AZ, GA, MI, PA, WI electoral votes.”
But DeLandro noted that, “the 2020 Presidential election results and President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral college victory is now certified.”
Meanwhile, New Britain’s Congresswoman Jahana Hayes (D-5), is, “calling for the immediate removal of this President by invoking the 25th Amendment or ultimately impeachment.”
Congresswoman Hayes said that, “for the first time in 232 years, our nation’s transition of power turned violent. In an attempted coup conducted at the request of and enabled by the President we saw the United States Capitol under siege,” adding that,
To be locked in my office watching my son’s innocence slip away as he realized the Capitol complex was not the secure place he marveled at exploring, to hear him ask “are they coming here,” and for me to have no answer reaffirmed for me that Americans are looking to their leaders for answers. The President cannot be trusted to continue in his role as the protector of our democracy and the official who will respond for our country.
Rep. Tercyak contemplated how the rioters at the nation’s Capitol, “were different from the protesters here. I’m sure that the people screaming obscenities Wednesday morning aren’t like the people who broke into the Capitol Wednesday afternoon. Maybe like the people who stayed behind them on the stairs. Or maybe more like the people who stayed at the siege, but didn’t break in or crowd onto the stairs.”
Meanwhile, Brown said, “If any of you want to defend the actions of yesterday by calling it peaceful or a protest, and have the nerve to say that BLM protests were riots and the whole movement is a ‘hate group’, yeah please block me,” on social media.
