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'Heartbreaking but inevitable' - Kiwi in Washington DC on pro-Trump mob's Capitol takeover

Emma G is concerned the Pro-Trump protests will spread to other cities.

A Kiwi musician living in Washington DC has described the protests at Capitol Hill as “heartbreaking”.

Emma G lives in Fort Totten, about four kilometres from where Trump supporters stormed the seat of US government.

She says it’s been “scary” to hear people on their way to the protests.

“I’m right by the metro, I’ve definitely heard yelling, I’ve definitely heard shouts, I’ve definitely seen that MAGA hat heading from one train to another as they go and fight for whatever they’re fighting for.”

“My family from all over the country have been calling me I’ve got friends calling me making sure that I’m safe and I’ve no doubt I’ve got friends down there right now who are anti-protesting.”

She thinks the riots will spread to the wider city despite an overnight curfew.

“I have no doubt that they’ll spread to the wider area, absolutely no doubt...I have no doubt that everyone in the city is going to be activated in some way shape or form and I know it’s going to spread out to other cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles. Of course it is because this is the year of revolution.”

She says tension has been heightened since Joe Biden won the election last November, and she’s “not surprised at all” by the riots.

“Tension has definitely been rising between people….now everyone asks who are you, what do you do and who do you vote for? And I think that has been exacerbated over the last few months in particular”

“It’s heartbreaking but it’s inevitable”

She noted the difference between the violent reaction of police towards Black Lives Matter protestors last year, and the response towards those who broke into the Capitol.

“We still live in this era where the black man is scary, so the fact that a white guy has a gun and is storming into the Capitol building isn’t nearly as scary because we’ve been sold this idea that white people are perfect, they’re the freedom fighters, they’re the justice warriors.”

She also worries about the effect the protests will have on spiraling Covid-19 infection rates.

“I took part in the George Floyd protests - everyone was physically distant, everyone was wearing a mask, there were very few cases of Covid that broke out as a result of that protest. I don’t know what it’s going to be like with this particular case because a lot of Trump’s followers don’t believe in wearing masks and don’t believe in physical distancing.”

She says it’s tempting to take to the streets in counter-protest, but doesn’t believe it’s the best way to create change in America.

“The best way we can fight back is to have those conversations with those people in your family who are on the fence about whether they condone these acts of violence.”

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