Political riots evoke moral dilemmas surrounding justifications for rioting and the accountability of participants. The assumption that rioters bear moral responsibility is challenged by different individual perspectives on actions during riots. The January 6 Capitol attack serves as a case study with two examples of rioter motivations. Jenny Cudd expresses clear resolve to participate based on a perceived betrayal, while Leonard Gruppo reflects on feelings of being swept up in the crowd without a strong justification for his actions. These contrasting narratives complicate the evaluation of moral agency in riot contexts.
"We start walking up to the Capitol, and we get the news that Pence betrayed us. He had way more power, and he wasn't willing to exercise it. And when Pence betrayed us is when we decided to storm the Capitol. (...) We just pushed and pushed and pushed and pushed, and yelled 'Go!' and yelled 'Charge!' And on and on and on, we just pushed and pushed and pushed-and we got in." (Jenny Cudd, recorded live video)
#political-riots #moral-responsibility #social-psychology #january-6-capitol-attack #protest-justification
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