As a former resident of Washington, D.C., I have seen how the Capitol Police prepare for “largely nonviolent” protests. For my own safety during protests I attended, I learned to watch for large groups of cops and avoid them, and to recognize street medics and legal observers in a crowd.
Media coverage of the riot on Jan. 6, 2021, was extremely frustrating for me. Hour after hour, I watched, perplexed, wondering where all the cops were. It didn’t look like D.C. According to the Government Accountability Office’s report (“Better training urged for Capitol Police,” Page A2, March 8), Capitol Police’s plans “focused on a manageable, largely nonviolent protest at the Capitol.”
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If antifa demonstrators had arrived in the same numbers, the Capitol Police would have been perfectly capable of responding “effectively and efficiently” to the “threat environment.” Yet somehow officers “felt discouraged or hesitant to use force” this time, though they had information that “protesters could be armed and were planning to target Congress.”
Bottom line, it should be very clear that while the GAO’s recommendations might help prevent a similar event in the future, they are not an explanation for the Capitol Police’s lack of response on that day.
Tim Clark
Lawrence
