“I couldn’t help but to wonder, if those were my kind storming the Capitol, what would have been the outcome? And I think we all know.”
LeBron James has discussed the double standards involved in policing of riots at the US Capitol. The NBA legend also opened up on how he has approached the issue when talking to his children.
Pro-Trump supporters attacked the US Capitol on Wednesday as Congress was certifying Joe Biden’s general election victory. Proceedings were suspended during the siege but resumed later that day after police cleared the premises.
Police talk to rioters inside the US Capitol January 06, 2021 in Washington, DC. Congress held a joint session to ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College win over President Donald Trump. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)Just hours before, Trump had addressed his fans at a rally in Washington DC telling them he would never concede, and waited hours after they’d breached the building to ask them to leave. Even in that video he told the violent mob “we love you,” reiterated that the election was “fraudulent” but asked them be peaceful and return home.
At least one improvised explosive device was found on the Capitol grounds.
Back in May 2020, the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police sparked a wave of Black Lives Matter protests across the United States.
The protests called for an end to police brutality, and soon the message spread all over the world. In the US, the protests were met with a heavy-handed police response, for weeks involving tear gas and a high number of arrests.
Many – including LeBron James – believe the police response to violence at the US Capitol was too weak.
When asked by reporters how he has gone about approaching the issue with his children, James said: “You just show them the photos.”
🖤 pic.twitter.com/1wLRnw1r6g
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) January 7, 2021
James then discussed what he deems to be double standards in policing.
“We live in two Americas, and that was a prime example of that yesterday.
“And if you don’t understand that or don’t see that after seeing what you saw yesterday then you really need to take a step back – not even just one step, maybe four or five or even 10 steps backwards and ask yourself… How do we want to live in this beautiful country? Because yesterday was not it.”
The Lakers star wondered whether the police response would have been as subdued if it were black Americans, or Black Lives Matter protestors, storming the Capitol.
“Being a part of a household with three kids – two boys, a daughter, a wife, a mother-in-law and so many black folks in my household during that time and it’s on the TV, I couldn’t help but to wonder, if those were my kind storming the Capitol, what would have been the outcome? And I think we all know. There’s no ifs, ands or buts.”
