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The election catalysed for the mobilisation and militarisation of far-right
groups, who were driven by the idea that they must defend Trump and the
Republican party. Their repeated
engagement in armed protests
heightened concerns about gun
control and the potential for
political
violence.
The
demonstrations
and
events
surrounding the far-right opposition
to election results culminated in the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6 th , 2021. In an attempt to disrupt the formalisation of Biden’s presidential victory, the mob ‘overran barricades, smashed windows, and attacked police’ . 130 Five individuals lost their lives during the riot, including a security officer who was killed from being bludgeoned with a fire extinguisher. 131 On the morning of the attack, Trump attended a ‘Save America’ rally, where he encouraged his followers to ‘fight like hell’ to ‘take back our country’ . 132 The riot saw a large presence
of extremist symbols, such as Confederate flags and QAnon paraphernalia,
highlighting the true ideological motives of the mob. The violence, destruction,
and tragic loss of lives revealed the alarming extent to which far-right ideologies were able to manifest in real-world actions and result in severe consequences. 133
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