Pro-Trump Rioters Could Face Long Jail Terms Because Of His Order To Punish BLM

Rioters who stormed the US Capitol earlier this week could face up to 10 years in prison because of an executive order Donald Trump signed in 2020 during Black Lives Matter protests.

On January 6, a mob of protestors descended on the US Capitol in an attempt to disrupt ceremonial proceedings in which Congress would certify Joe Biden as the next US president.

The violence resulted in five deaths and more than 50 arrests. The actions of rioters were condemned by attorney general Jeffrey Rosen, who said those found guilty of the attack would ‘face the full consequences of their actions under the law’.

In June 2020, Trump announced via Twitter that he had signed a ‘very strong executive order’ protecting US monuments, memorials and statues’.

‘Long prison terms for these lawless acts against our Great Country!’ the outgoing president tweeted.

During the Black Lives Matter protests, a number of statues of figures with links to the slave trade were removed by demonstrators.

While Rosen did not mention the executive order in his statement, he said criminal prosecutors had been working ‘throughout the night’ to ‘gather the evidence, identify perpetrators and charge federal crimes where warranted’.

‘Some participants in yesterday’s violence will be charged today, and we will continue to methodically assess evidence, charge crimes and make arrests in the coming days and weeks to ensure that those responsible are held accountable under the law,’ Rosen added.

Trump has faced a wave of backlash following the events of Wednesday, as politicians and law enforcement officials alike accuse him of riling up the rioters.

Speaking at a ‘Save America’ rally earlier the day, he encouraged attendees to march on the Capitol Building in protest against the election results, which he described as being ‘explosions of bullsh*t’.

In the early hours of this morning, Trump posted a video to his Twitter account in which he finally accepted defeat in the presidential election.

Now that Congress has certified the election results, Trump said his sole focus going forward is ensuring a ‘smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power’.

In the same video that he thanks his ‘wonderful supporters’ he said those who had stormed the Capitol had ‘defiled the seat of American democracy’.

‘To those who engaged in the acts of violence and destruction, you do not represent our country. And to those who broke the law, you will pay,’ he told the perpetrators.

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