Alliance for Justice Condemns Horrific Armed Insurrection and Attack on Democracy

WASHINGTON, D.C., January 7, 2021 – Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron issued the following statement:

“When armed combatants lay siege to the center of our democracy, they threaten the fabric of our lives as we know it. This attack on the Capitol was directly incited by President Trump, Republican lawmakers, and his other allies disputing the obvious and inevitable outcome of the November election. Astonishingly, many have already doubled down on the very disinformation campaign that fomented this violence, desperate in their failing effort to steal back power following a decisive election loss.

Wednesday’s attempted insurrection threatened the safety of our lawmakers and their staff, employees in and around the Capitol, and the hundreds of thousands of people who live and work in Washington, D.C. Astonishingly, police were documented allowing these seditionists into the Capitol, taking pictures with them, gently escorting them back down the stairs, and releasing them without arrest. It is a jarring reminder that this country offers up two completely different systems of law and order based on the color of your skin. Black and brown people lose their lives at police hands without even committing a crime, while violent, white right-wing terrorists receive police escorts to commit capital felonies.

Democracy is only as strong as the people’s faith in its integrity. Justice is only as strong as the people’s trust in its fairness. This unprecedented attack epitomizes the unrelenting war on democracy and justice waged by the cult of Trump and the Republican Party under his thrall. There are reasons to be optimistic about the massive shift in political control taking place this month, but we cannot expect that alone to solve our problems.

We must demand better of ourselves. Our nation has endured too much to repeat the same mistakes of the past, and we must hold ourselves accountable for the vulnerabilities that persist in our society. While some are already trying to rewrite history, we must not forget how low our nation sank to arrive at yesterday’s events.

AFJ will continue to fight for the rule of law and equal justice for all. There is an immense challenge before us, but it is not insurmountable with truth and humanity as our guides.”