just turning this idea over in my mind. Obviously the images of selfies being taken with cops and things of that nature paint quite a different picture to what we were seeing during the Northern hemisphere summer, but let’s not forget they did also kill one of them, and they did bust out the tear gas and stuff.

Was this just another strategic retreat type of tactic, where the cops figure “let them come in and bust up the furniture, they’ll tucker themselves out”? Has the difference in police response been exaggerated? I think it’s obvious on its face that a significant portion, if not a majority, of cops share sympathies with the protestors cause, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to mass dereliction of “duty”.

I’m not particularly trying to advance this argument, more just trying to get a discussion going and see what everyone thinks.

  • T_Doug [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    IMO yes and no. If one only looks at the immediate, tactical, context the Capitol Police made the right decision. They clearly lacked the manpower to defend the Capitol against the mob of chuds and in that circumstance the wisest course of action is to evacuate and secure representatives in safe zones; while letting the chuds lose energy and motivation through rampaging around the rest of the building until reinforcements arrive. FWIW this behavior is textbook riot control and was used repeatedly by the Hong Kong Police throughout the 2019-20 protests.

    However, things get far more complex when using a strategic perspective because that raises question of why (in the city with the worlds greatest access to policing resources) was the security assigned to the Capitol that day so bare-bones? There was more than ample warning that the protest would be targeted against the Capitol and large in intensity and numbers. Yet the Capitol Police dramatically undermanned and underequipped their response. Moreover, there was very little urgency in sending over additional support during the hour between the intensification of protests outside the Capitol, and the breaching of the building itself.

    And we know the Capitol Police, alongside the vast numbers of nearby law enforcement agencies, are capable of overwhelmingly responding to situations at the Capitol because that's exactly what happened this summer; when heavy barriers and many thousands of heavily equipped personnel stood guard there during the BLM uprising.

    Either the Capitol Police are incompetent and greatly underestimated the size and intensity of the riot when they prepared for it; or they deliberately choose to pursue a minimal response to it due to external and/or internal pressure.