On January 11, 2021, Ben & Jerry’s issued a powerful statement regarding the events of January 6, 2021. They asserted that what transpired was not a mere protest, but a riot aimed at upholding white supremacy. According to the statement, “It was allowed to happen. The mostly white insurrectionists roamed freely and without consequence through the heart of our democracy.”
Ben & Jerry’s emphasized that the riot’s permissiveness was inherently linked to the race of the participants. They highlighted the stark contrast in how the rioters were treated compared to how Black, Brown, or Indigenous people would have been treated in a similar scenario. The company argued that the leniency shown to the insurrectionists was due to their whiteness.
The statement underscored a troubling double standard in the enforcement of law and order, pointing out the systemic racism that continues to plague the United States. Ben & Jerry’s called for a critical examination of this disparity, urging people to confront and address the underlying racial injustices. They stressed the importance of recognizing and challenging the privileges that allowed such an event to occur with apparent impunity for those involved.