Not an insurrection, as the word is defined and understood.
Insurrection: “a situation in which a large group of people try to take political control of their own country with violence” Oxford.
Insurrection: “an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government.” Webster.
Insurrection: “an
organized attempt by a
group of
people to
defeat their government and take
control of
their country, usually by
violence.” Cambridge
The secession of Southern States was an insurrection. They exerted “political control” over a geographical area of the country by forming a distinct, separate, and independent governmental system from that of the federal government under the U.S. Constitution that had existed previously for the same geographical area. The Confederate Government of U.S. subsequently fired upon Fort Sumter.
The January 6 rioters, and their conduct does constitute as riot (“a situation in which a group of people behave in a violent way in a public place, often as a protest”), but not an insurrection as they didn’t act to revolt (revolt: “to renounce allegiance or subjection (as to a government)
: REBEL” Webster), didn’t seek to “take control” (control, “to have power over a… country…so that you are able to decide what they must do or how it is run politically for themselves” Oxford) of the “country” or “defeat” the government and “control” the “country.”
The Jan 6 rioters sought to materially and substantially affect a specific session of Congress of counting electoral college ballots. This is an undoubtedly an egregious act meriting prison sentences not worthy of any pardon but not insurrection.
And as much as I dislike Trump, he summoned the guard and Marines for presently the limited use to protect federal buildings and federal law enforcement, in which their interaction with protesters thus far is limited to protesters appearing at those federal buildings/engaging federal officers.
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