I Watched the Capitol Riot Unfold Right in Front of Me. What I Saw This Year Is Haunting.
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This time on Jan. 6, Capitol workers shoveled a thin blanket of snow outside a quiet building. Members of Congress entered the building without event. There was heavy security, but only a lone protester: a man who held a sign that read “Fuck Donald Trump.” Notably, nobody was trying to hang Mike Pence.
That single protester is an eerie contrast to what I watched unfold inside and outside the building four years ago. I had been to Trump’s defiant speech that day and followed as ostensible protesters stormed the building with congresspeople still inside. I followed and watched as euphoric rioters smashed windows and furniture, looted what they wanted, and smoked weed with their feet kicked up on tables. It was a mix of supporters from every corner of the country, all unified in their intention to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election win, among other sinister aims. In a statement Monday, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the........
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