Five Republican US Senators have sent a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland asking why the domestic terrorists who attacked the Capitol on January 6th are being arrested more speedily than people who participated in the nationwide protests that stemmed from the murder of George Floyd.

The five Republican Senators–Rafael “Ted” Cruz of Texas; Ron Johnson of Wisconsin; Mike Lee of Utah; Rick Scott of Florida; and Tommy Tuberville of Alabama–cite statistics from the spring and summer of 2020 about the number of police officers injured and ask why more punishment hasn’t been meted out.

“DOJ’s apparent unwillingness to punish these individuals who allegedly committed crimes during the spring and summer 2020 protests stands in stark contrast to the harsher treatment of the individuals charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.,” the Senators claim. 

The five Senators note that a number of people who have been arrested and charged in the unrest last spring and summer have been referred to deferred resolution agreements, which will ultimately expunge their records if they meet the criteria of the agreements.  The five Senators suggest that arrangement should be made for the domestic terrorists who attacked the Capitol January 6th.

They also complain that the Department of Justice has set up a website and database seeking information on the perpetrators of the attack on the Capitol, but no such database exists for the people who took part in BLM protests.

The five Senators claim that federal law enforcement is giving too much attention to the domestic terrorists who tried to undermine the Constitutional duty of Congress when compared to the demonstrators protesting the shooting deaths in police custody of unarmed, typically Black, people.

“Americans have the constitutional right to peaceably assemble and petition the government for a redress of grievances. This constitutional right should be cherished and protected,” the letter says.  “Violence, property damage, and vandalism of any kind should not be tolerated and individuals that break the law should be prosecuted. However, the potential unequal administration of justice with respect to certain protestors is particularly concerning.”