Rep. Bush: Black people would have been 'laid out'

Newly elected Democrat Rep. Cori Bush, a Missouri activist who protested against police brutality, says the protestors who stormed the US Capitol were treated differently because of their race. (Jan. 6)

Video Transcript

CORI BUSH: I just think about had that group of people been black and brown, especially black, it would not have happened this way. We wouldn't have made it to the steps to be able to then come in the doors. There would not have been any tear gas being deployed inside the capital.

There would not have been any of us with our feet up on a member's desk. That would not have happened. We wouldn't have made it that far. We would have been shot had we tried to do all of that.

Let's just be real. We would have been shot. Tear gas would have been deployed outside, noise munitions, rubber bullets. If blue lives matter so much, why were you fighting those blue lives? So I'm just-- but also, had we as black people did the same things that happened today with the police, had we fought with fists, police officers, the reaction would have been different.

We would have been laid out on the ground. There would have been shootings. There would have been people in jail. There would have been people beat with batons, and I know. Because I've been there, and we didn't even have to put our hands on police officers to get that.

All you had to do was curse a police officer out, and you could be laid out on the ground. You could just show up at the protest, and you could be beaten. This is why we stand up. This is why Kap took a knee.

This is why we won't shut up. This is why we keep coming back. This is why I ran for this seat. This is why folks fighting for black lives have to be brought to the table, and I'm the one to do it. Donald Trump, the life of the woman that I hear died today that was shot, that blood, her blood is on his hands.

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