Spitfire condemns white supremacists’ assault on democracy, joins calls to remove Trump and GOP leaders from office

In acts of violent domestic terrorism, white supremacists gathered in our nation’s capital, and a mob of extremists illegally entered the U.S. Capitol in a continued attempt – led by Donald J. Trump – to change the results of the presidential election and disrupt the peaceful transition of power. We condemn this violence and the attempted coup.

The current president, his GOP supporters and far-right media have primed white supremacist communities for this moment and goaded mobs to commit violence and undermine American democracy. Social media platforms enabled this violence by refusing to take action against mis and disinformation and by allowing extremists to organize and plan their assaults. We describe white supremacist extremists in this specific way because words matter, shape culture and spark action. And we’re using our words to name these attacks on democracy and people in the United States. Time and again, the current president and his supporters have sought to vilify, suppress and silence the voices of Black, Brown and Indigenous people and terrorize anyone whose beliefs don’t align with theirs.

We stand with partners and clients who are committed to building an inclusive, anti-racist and compassionate society. And we call on Congressional leaders to swiftly act against those who commit seditious and illegal acts – no matter the badge they carry or how high they sit. We reject all efforts to whitewash these actions and join calls to remove Trump from office, as well as every Republican member who fueled this domestic terrorism. We also call on federal and District of Columbia law enforcement agencies to investigate law enforcement’s unwillingness to stop violence, and even contribute to the chaos – all of which offer a stark contrast to heavy-handed, brutally militaristic violence against Black Lives Matter protesters.

We are grateful to the journalists who are putting themselves in harm’s way to accurately cover these events – and the need for swift action to prevent them from ever happening again.