An outreach project of Three Stone Farm

This statement mixes up two very different things: protest and insurrection. Protest is fundamentally American and protected by the First Amendment—whether we’re talking about the Boston Tea Party, suffragettes, or civil rights marches. Insurrection involves using force or violence to usurp government authority or directly prevent the execution of law.

Insurrection is what happened on January 6th, 2021. According to the U.S. Attorney General, the violence injured 140 police officers in what was called “likely the largest single day mass assault of law enforcement officers in our nation’s history.” Court evidence shows insurrectionists attacking police with weapons, breaking through barriers, and chanting death threats while trying to stop the certification of election results. All after being openly incited by Donald Trump, who encouraged them to march to the Capital and to not be “weak.”

The Pardon Question

The January 6th pardons raise serious questions about equal justice. President Trump pardoned over 1,500 defendants who were part of the Capitol siege, including people documented on video attacking police and leaders of groups convicted of planning violence. Many of those pardoned had extensive criminal histories—one had 38 prior convictions for charges including rape, manslaughter, and domestic violence.

Different Treatment for Different Causes

Compare this to how civil rights protesters were treated during BLM protests in 2020. Amnesty International documented 125 incidents of police violence against protesters across 40 states between May 26 and June 5, 2020 alone. This included officers beating, misusing tear gas, and inappropriately using less lethal munitions. Over 10,000 arrests were made, with police often using force as a first response crowd control rather than a last resort against peaceful demonstrators.

The contrast is stark: wave an American flag while committing violence, and you may go free; peacefully protest injustice done in the flag’s name, and you may die.

The Real Issue

The concern isn’t about supporting lawless protesters—it’s about consistent application of justice. When convicted felons who violently attacked the Capitol receive presidential pardons while peaceful civil rights protesters face aggressive prosecution and injuries, it shows that consequences depend more on political alignment than actual lawbreaking. Most Americans, regardless of party, believe the law should apply equally to everyone. We should all demand blind justice exist in practice.

1. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/g-s1-36809/trump-pardons-january-6-riot
2. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/1/23/the-january-6-pardons-who-has-trump-ordered-to-be-released
3. https://www.npr.org/2025/01/30/nx-s1-5276336/donald-trump-jan-6-rape-assault-pardons-rioters
4. https://www.amnestyusa.org/aiusa-documents-police-violence-against-protestors-for-black-lives/
5. https://tminstituteldf.org/police-and-protests-the-inequity-of-police-responses-to-racial-justices-demonstrations/