It’s a shame how this year kicked off — with terrorists raiding a government building to attempt a coup because their supreme overlord can’t handle losing.

After months of whining, spamming Twitter with lies and riling up some dangerous people, the 45th president of the United States Donald Trump finally had years of stoking division and lying to the American people catch up with him.

What happened on Jan. 6 is pure and simple: terrorism. These “patriots” (as they call themselves) raided a federal building to stop the democratic process.

The harsh reality of this embarrassing act is that Trump enabled this the whole way. On Dec. 30, he tweeted “JANUARY 6, SEE YOU IN DC!” 

If anyone can read that and interpret it as anything other than inciting a riot, they are beyond saving.

This is how the Trump presidency will end — inciting an attempted coup and getting banned from Twitter for his fascist activity. This is the legacy he will leave behind as the 45th president, and the worst part is his cronies will never see the true evil behind the man.

This university had a tremendous response to these acts — Student Congress and President Pescovitz releasing statements condemning this kind of activity. It’s refreshing to see so many people at Oakland call this point in history what it is — terrorism. 

Hopefully, this horrendous act — which has left five people dead — can become a learning experience for the future leaders of this country. This act not only spits in the face of democracy, but it’s also an extreme example of white privilege. 

The police officers at the scene let the armed rioters in the building. One officer even took a selfie with a rioter. They did not use excessive force as seen in numerous cases with unarmed Black people.

These people, who had violent intentions, were simply allowed to walk right into the Capitol, for no other reason than the color of their skin and their ideologies.

Black children have been gunned down in the street for holding much less than what these fascists brought into the Capitol. Rioters with zip-ties, rope and weapons were allowed to waltz right into a government building with intentions to harm government officials for simply following the democratic process.

The lack of response from the D.C. police is something that should shake even the staunchest Trump voters. I challenge anyone who disagrees that this raid crossed the line to look in the mirror, and truly reflect on why they can’t accept the reality of white supremacy and white privilege in the United States’ legal system.

Not only is the behavior of the D.C. police offensive to any Black person who has been forced to live in fear of law enforcement for their entire lives, but it’s also offensive to anyone of Middle Eastern descent and the Jewish faith.

Many rioters on Jan. 6 had anti-semitic t-shirts, including (but not limited to) phrases such as “6MWE,” meaning the six million jews who died in the holocaust was “not enough.” Confederate flags flew in the Capitol, and Nazi paraphernalia littered the sidewalks of what once was a city that represented freedom. 

For almost 20 years now since Sept. 11, 2001, people of Middle Eastern descent have lived in fear of persecution, enduring remarks about “terrorism” simply based on their religion, skin color and even clothing. The fact that the same people who would harass a woman wearing a hijab can commit terrorist acts with such glee and joy in their eyes is despicable.

What happened on Jan. 6 was a despicable display of our country’s broken system. To all those Golden Grizzlies who are people of color, people of various religious beliefs or people of the LGBTQIA+ community, The Oakland Post stands with you as a voice against racism, fascism and white supremacy.