Republicans Are Using Capitol Breach as Excuse to Promote Anti-Protest Bills
Razor wire is seen after being installed on the fence surrounding the grounds of the U.S. Capitol on January 15, 2021, in Washington, D.C.
Samuel Corum / Getty Images
On the heels of the U.S. Capitol breach, Republican lawmakers in five states are capitalizing on unrest and anxiety about further violence planned for the upcoming inauguration to propose and pass anti-protest laws, which they say are intended to prevent the kind of mob Trump extremists brought to Washington. But attorneys and legal advocates say the proposed laws — two of which were introduced before January 6 but promoted after the breach — will do nothing to curb white supremacist violence, and will instead grant law enforcement increasing discretion and pressure to crack down on and harshly sentence progressive activists pushing for racial and climate justice.