A message from Aliki Moncrief, Executive Director of Florida Conservation Voters
Yesterday’s siege of the U.S. Capitol was an attack on our country, our people, and our democracy. It was incited and enabled by a president who refuses to accept the reality that millions of voters chose Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to serve as President and Vice President of the United States. I’m ashamed of the members of Florida’s congressional delegation who, for weeks, if not months and years, have instigated lies about the 2020 election to hold onto power that neither Trump nor they deserve.
Twelve Florida Congress Members and Senator Rick Scott voted to overturn the 2020 election results. That’s a third of our congressional delegation who, by their actions and words yesterday and over the last year, have added fuel to the destructive and divisive fire of insurrection.
Let’s face it: if the domestic terrorists who stormed the Capitol yesterday had been Black or predominantly people of color, the police response would have been much different. During the protests following the death of George Floyd, peaceful protestors were shot with rubber bullets, pepper-sprayed, and met with other violence. But yesterday, white supremacists were practically invited into the Capitol building, where they proceeded to damage and destroy public property and incite violence against public officials, staff, and journalists. After an extreme show of disrespect and actual destruction of the hallowed halls of our democratic institutions, nearly all were allowed to return to their hotel rooms and go about their day.
After bearing witness to the hateful mob and heinous acts they committed yesterday, we have to recognize how communities of color have long been oppressed both at the polls and by police. We must work to dismantle institutions of oppression and strengthen voting rights, access, and protections.
A message from Maria Revelles, Program Director of Chispa Florida
We strongly denounce the attack on democracy and the acts of violence that took place yesterday in Washington D.C. Implicit bias is real, and it showed up in the different way that these domestic terrorists were treated versus when the protestors have been BIPOC and Latinx communities. We are committed to uplift the voices of our communities on issues that are important to them and in demanding that those responsible assume consequences for this act against the democracy of this country.
Repudiamos el ataque a la democracia y el acto de violencia ocurrido ayer. La parcialidad implícita es real y ayer se manifestó en la manera diferente en que estos terroristas domésticos fueron tratados en comparación cuando los manifestantes han sido personas de comunidades Negras, Indígenas y Latinas. Estamos comprometidos en elevar la voz de nuestras comunidades en los temas que son importantes para ellas y en exigir que los responsables asuman consecuencias por este acto en contra de la democracia de este País.