Reaction in Indy to US Capitol chaos: ‘Democracy is literally breaking at seams’
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As chaos happened at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, people in the Circle City watched from their phones and their televisions in dismay.
Many compared the response from law enforcement at the Capitol to the May rioting in Indianapolis.
“Disgust, anger, sadness,” said Josh Rojas, who watched the violent protest on social media. “Democracy is literally breaking at the seams.”
“There has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud, enough to turn the election, and these people they just are not listening,” said Rojas.
“It is devastating,” said Kristian Ryan, who also followed the events online. “What makes you think that is going to do anything? Like what is that supposed to change.”
During the chaos, a woman who was killed. The Associated Press reported police said she was part of a crowd that was breaking down the doors to a barricaded room where armed officers stood on the other side. She was struck in the chest and sent to a hospital where she was pronounced dead. Officials believe she was struck by law enforcement but were investigating.
“Just to see that a woman has died, people are hurt, seeing people cry, it hurts,” said Ryan.
The rubber bullets, tear gas, Washington’s 6 p.m. curfew and the violence reminded Ryan of the Black Lives Matter protests that were followed by rioting in Indianapolis in May.
“We were treated with such disgust and they were treated with a little bit more care to them being human beings,” said Ryan.
Hope Griner, who also followed the protestors Wednesday in Washington, said, “It seems like it is being treated like ‘Oh, it is their right,’ even though they are hurting people and killing people.”
Some people who spoke with News 8 believed that President Donald Trump’s response to the violent protesters did not condemn their behavior but, in their opinion, applauded it.
In one tweet later deleted, President Trump said, “Go home with love & peace. Remember this day forever!”