On Jan. 6, at the behest of President Trump, an armed mob stormed the U.S. Capitol. Five people are dead, including one police officer. In the days since, a number of organizations have condemned the riots, including the entertainment industry. Among them is SAG-AFTRA and Actors’ Equity Association.
Actors’ Equity Association, who endorsed Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the presidential election, called the riots “shocking and unacceptable. For hours, a nation watched white supremacy on display in an illegal attempt to overturn the will of the people and disenfranchise millions of voters in Georgia, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and around the nation.
“There must be consequences and there must be accountability, not just for those who recklessly stormed the Capitol and disrupted the transition, but for the politicians who have shamefully incited this behavior with a steady stream of disinformation and hate.
“Actors’ Equity was proud to endorse and support Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the 2020 election. Never has their work been more important. We look forward to having a president who will uphold his oath of office.”
The riots have been called a coup attempt, as they were sparked by Trump’s numerous false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him. In a speech the morning of Jan. 6 at his “Save America” rally, he called on the insurrectionists to march to the Capitol and pressure Congress to overturn the results of the election. “We’re going to try and give them the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country,” he said.
The mob pushed their way into Congress carrying guns, explosives, and zip ties. They also ransacked the offices of Congressional officials, stealing government documents and computers.
SAG-AFTRA also released a statement decrying Trump’s words. “Rioters, emboldened and encouraged by a sitting president and his enablers who have peddled baseless conspiracy theories, stormed the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to subvert democracy.
“As a union and a democratic organization, we are appalled by this attack on the values we hold most sacred. The disgraceful scenes coming out of the nation’s capital have undermined America’s institutions and its standing in the world. Displays of the Confederate flag and other symbols of white supremacy and hate were meant to subjugate and terrorize people of color and those of certain faiths. This poison attacks the diverse membership of our union and the labor movement.
“Yesterday’s attack was an inevitable result of sustained misinformation campaigns that attempt to discredit journalists while weaving a counter-narrative based on falsehoods. Our members include broadcast journalists, who have been increasingly targeted by extremists who feel threatened by the facts. The number of attacks on journalists has spiked in the last year, and members of yesterday’s mob attacked broadcast journalists and destroyed cameras and other equipment, and left graffiti on a Capitol door reading ‘Murder the Media,’ leaving no question where they stand.
“The reckless rhetoric by some leaders—including many members of Congress who continued to perpetuate lies even after the attack—is damaging the fabric of our nation and costing lives.
“SAG-AFTRA is nonpartisan, representing members of all political views, but we cannot be silent as an angry, violent group attempts to rob the American people of their right to self-governance. We denounce this attempted insurrection and all who support it.”
As of this writing, the House of Representatives has introduced an article of impeachment against Trump for inciting the violence—if it passes, Trump will be the first American president to be impeached twice. Twitter has banned him from the platform.
Meanwhile, the FBI is currently taking information on individuals who attended the riots. Nearly 100 arrests have been made, and that number is expected to grow. Unfortunately, government officials and law enforcement have also received news that more violence is planned for Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
