(DailyVantage.com) – Following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin in the summer of 2020, riots broke out in cities nationwide, with acts of violence carried out across the country. Police arrested and released thousands of people who seemingly suffered no consequences for their actions. Fast forward to January 6, 2021, authorities took protestors inside and outside the Capitol into custody in the days and weeks following — and some still remain in custody. This situation has prompted cries of unjust treatment compared to the arrests from the summer before. FBI Director Christopher Wray was asked about this issue recently during a sit-down interview.
Appearing at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Wray discussed the two incidents with the library’s executive director, John Heubusch. He denied the agency treated the incidents any differently, claiming hundreds of active investigations were open on both.
Wray says the problem with charging people with damage during the riots stems from the fact most of those acts were carried out “under the cover of darkness, with people’s faces concealed.” Inversely, the Capitol Hill protests occurred in broad daylight, and people’s faces were “eminently visible.”
The FBI director insists the agency is treating both investigations with the same intensity, but Attorney General Merrick Garland said there’s a heavier emphasis on catching those involved in the Capitol riot. Then, there are the numbers. For the Capitol riots, the FBI arrested 725 people. Yet, the number of arrests for violent protestors during the summer 2020 riots is significantly lower at just over 250.
Is it any wonder people feel the FBI is targeting Capitol Hill protestors? The evidence certainly seems to suggest it.
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