On Saturday, a group of men armed with guns took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Oregon, in what they described as an active protest against the federal government over their right to public land. Led by brothers Ammon and Ryan Bundy, the group declared that they were ready to be "kill or be killed" in the name of their cause.
A debate about the righteousness of the group's cause aside, one thing is abundantly clear -- the reaction to the group, both by police and government officials and many media outlets, points to a double standard in the way white people are treated vs people of color when it comes to acts of protests or extremism.
Across media outlets, the group have been described as "peaceful protestors," all while from police enforcement maintained a measured, though tense approach.
Speaking with The Huffington Post on Monday, a man identifying himself as the Bundy's "bodyguard" said the degree of resistance to the armed standoff is excessive when compared to the response to protests against racial inequality.
"The Black Lives Matter movement, they can go and protest, close freeways down and all that stuff, and they don't get any backlash, not on the level that we're getting," he said.
However the backlash against the Bundys and their followers has yet to include martial law and excessive force from law enforcement or the National Guard, as was the case during the Ferguson protests. The fact that the situation hasn't escalated to violence on both sides is a good thing. But one can't help wonder if a group of armed black or brown protestors declaring they are ready to "kill or be killed" would leave with their lives intact.
Below are just a few of the tweets posted in the wake of the standoff which perfectly distill this glaring double standard:
Average response from people in US to this cartoon is (1) justify #TamirRice murder and (2) support White militias pic.twitter.com/W475HokMhJ
— Carlos Latuff (@LatuffCartoons) January 3, 2016
12 yr old with toy, gunned down within 2.3 seconds, 150 armed men take over federal building.. Barely a peep. #oregonunderattack #TamirRice
— Moody (@TheMikeIsmail) January 3, 2016
Did I miss the call for the national guard in Oregon? I recall them in Ferguson and Baltimore. #OregonUnderAttack
— rolandsmartin (@rolandsmartin) January 3, 2016
You better believe these armed militiamen will be safer than #TamirRice was when law enforcement decides to show up. #OregonUnderAttack
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) January 3, 2016
Nothing more terrifying that a bunch of white bros with guns #OregonUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/VidIs36I0Y
— Emma Gray (@emmaladyrose) January 3, 2016
Men with REAL weapons are being negotiated with, while #TamirRice, a young boy with a fake gun was shot right away...? #OregonUnderAttack
— keshika (@BADLANDprincess) January 3, 2016
Imagine for a moment the response to the Black Panthers taking over a federal building in response to #TamirRice's murder #OregonUnderAttack
— Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) January 3, 2016
FYI - If you're occupying govt property with signs, it's a protest. If you're occupying with guns, it's terrorism. #OregonUnderAttack
— Stephen Lautens (@stephenlautens) January 4, 2016
You know which protesters were peaceful? #Ferguson #OregonUnderAttack https://t.co/n3yjBNyxNI
— Just Jo (@grimalkinrn) January 3, 2016
Based on the way media is reporting about #OregonUnderAttack I'm assuming terrorist is a word reserved only for brown people still....
— Lightskin Tyreese (@thekingjobe) January 3, 2016
Hey, @ABC. I fixed your headline for you. #OregonUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/a20tUvogme
— Brianna Wu (@Spacekatgal) January 3, 2016
Watch American extremist. "I wanna die a free man." So only Muslims can be extremists, eh? https://t.co/J5YUEnwXJ5 #OregonUnderAttack
— Linda Sarsour (@lsarsour) January 3, 2016
Pure irony #OregonUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/2unEhipU6J
— M (@veggienugget_) January 4, 2016
For folks who need a starker comparison of the double standard here, I present exhibit A #OregonUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/f4IITVg75b
— Joelle Gamble (@joelle_gamble) January 3, 2016
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