Capitol police, Congresswoman under fire for aiding mob during riot – National & International News – TUE 12Jan2021

NATIONAL NEWS

Capitol police, lawmakers under fire for aiding mob

Questions are being raised as to what extent certain Capitol insiders may have aided and abetted the mob who stormed the Capitol last Wednesday. While investigations are still in an early stage, disturbing details are already emerging.

Good cops

During the riot, many Capitol police officers demonstrated exceptional bravery, despite being heavily outnumbered and outgunned. One such example is Eugene Goodman, who was captured on video single-handedly baiting the unruly mob to lure them away from the Senate chamber where lawmakers were hiding. Another is Brian Sicknick, who sadly lost his life due to injuries he sustained while confronting the mob. These two officers are joined by many others, yet unnamed, who bravely faced down the mob knowing no help was coming.

Bad cops?

However, the actions of other Capitol police officers during the riot have come under fire. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who chairs the committee that oversees the Capitol police, has confirmed that two Capitol police officers have been suspended over their conduct during the riot. Ryan also said that another 15 Capitol police officers are under investigation for their improper conduct during the riot.

While Ryan insists that there is as yet no evidence suggesting broader or deeper coordination between the rioters and Capitol police, several of the incidents mentioned have begged questions. One Capitol police officer took a selfie with the rioters. Another donned a MAGA hat and “started directing people around” the building.

It’s possible these officers simply made misguided attempts to placate the mob. However these and other incidents, along with stashes of weapons, pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails found in vehicles on Capitol grounds, seem to at least point to a major breakdown in leadership and supervision on the day of the assault.

Bad lawmakers?

Some lawmakers who expressed sympathy for the mob or its goals are also facing tough questions. One such is Lauren Boebert. Dubbed the “QAnon Congresswoman” for her statements supporting the conspiracy, Boebert is facing calls to step down in her home state of Colorado for her actions during the riot. Boebert tweeted details of the lockdown on lawmakers during the riot. This included one tweet which simply read “Speaker has been removed from the chambers”. While she did not give further details as to Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s location, Boebert’s critics allege her tweet might have been an attempt to aid the rioters who were searching for her. Videos from the attack capture some rioters yelling that they are “coming for” Pelosi.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Israeli rights group: Israel is an apartheid state

B’Tselem, a Jerusalem-based Israeli human rights group, has issued a position paper which is already stirring controversy within Israel’s borders. The paper declares that Israel is no longer a democracy, but an “apartheid regime” that “seeks to advance and cement Jewish supremacy throughout the entire area” it controls. Significantly, B’Tselem issued this statement on the very day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced approval for construction of a further 800 Jewish settler homes in occupied West Bank territory. This construction would be a further violation of international law, which have become increasingly commonplace in Israel, thanks to support from President Trump.

Erosion of democracy

In recent years, the international Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement has called for boycotts of West Bank settler communities or products produced by settler-owned firms in the occupied territories. It was just this kind of international pressure that helped end apartheid in South Africa. While B’Tselem’s new publication does not explicitly endorse BDS as a solution, the group has in the past defended BDS against accusations of antisemitism. The paper also says domestic Israeli laws banning the endorsement of any such boycotts have “limited Israelis’ freedom to criticize policies relating to Palestinians throughout the area”. This stifling of freedom of expression support’s B’Tselem’s position that Tel Aviv’s promotion of Jewish supremacy has eroded Israel’s democracy, not only as it applies to the Palestinians, but to Jewish Israelis as well.

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