The year 2020 will long be remembered not only for the COVID-19 pandemic but also for the sweeping unrest that engulfed major American cities. Sparked by the death of George Floyd in late May, protests under the banner of racial justice quickly metastasized into widespread rioting, looting, and political violence. From Portland to New York, Seattle to Atlanta, Minneapolis to Chicago, the chaos was marked by burning buildings, shattered storefronts, occupied zones, physical assaults, and—tragically—deaths. This essay explores the reality of the 2020 riots, the political forces and rhetoric that fueled them, and the media’s glaring double standard in contrast to its coverage of the January 6 Capitol breach.
A Nation Ignited: The Scope and Nature of the 2020 Riots
On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died during an arrest by Minneapolis police. Within days, demonstrations spread nationwide. While some protests were peaceful, a large number devolved into violent riots. Across more than 140 cities, businesses were torched, police were assaulted, and billions in property damage mounted. In Minneapolis alone, over 1,500 businesses were looted or destroyed. Portland and Seattle became epicenters of ongoing violence that lasted months. Rioters in these cities attacked federal courthouses, firebombed police precincts, and set up autonomous zones where law enforcement was barred.
In Seattle, protesters took over six city blocks in what became known as CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone), later renamed CHOP (Capitol Hill Occupied Protest). Mayor Jenny Durkan infamously downplayed the zone as a potential “summer of love.” Within CHOP, two black teenagers were shot—one fatally. Police and EMS were unable to intervene due to protester barricades. In Portland, rioters targeted the federal courthouse for over 100 consecutive nights, often attacking police with commercial-grade fireworks, rocks, and laser pointers. The violence was not spontaneous; it was strategic, organized, and sustained.
Key Figures and Political Enablers
The prolonged nature of the riots was not merely the result of crowd behavior—it was exacerbated by the complicity of certain elected officials who failed to restore order, often providing tacit or explicit encouragement.
- Ted Wheeler, the Mayor of Portland, allowed protests to continue unabated for months. He refused federal assistance and even joined rioters in the streets, where he was jeered and tear-gassed. His leadership allowed nightly violence against federal property and police to persist throughout the summer and fall of 2020.
- Jenny Durkan, Mayor of Seattle, failed to dismantle CHOP until after the murders of two black teenagers and mounting legal pressure. She initially mocked President Trump for suggesting the National Guard be deployed and portrayed the protest zone as festive.
- Jay Inslee, Governor of Washington, and Kate Brown, Governor of Oregon, downplayed the scale of unrest in their states. Both resisted federal intervention and echoed the “mostly peaceful” narrative even as their largest cities burned and police officers were injured.
- Kamala Harris, then a U.S. Senator and now Vice President, tweeted support for a bail fund (Minnesota Freedom Fund) that helped release rioters and looters from jail. The fund later drew scrutiny after it was discovered to have bailed out individuals charged with violent crimes.
- Members of “The Squad”, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, and Rashida Tlaib, either expressed support for the protests or refused to condemn the riots. Pressley even called for “unrest in the streets,” a remark that could be interpreted as incitement. Ilhan Omar referred to the Minneapolis police department as a “cancer” that needed to be dismantled.
This rhetorical and political climate emboldened radicals, deflated police morale, and signaled that accountability would be absent or, at best, inconsistent.
The Toll of the Riots: A Catalog of Lives Lost
Contrary to the “mostly peaceful” claims amplified by CNN, MSNBC, and other progressive media outlets, the summer of 2020 was deadly. At least 19 people were killed in incidents directly related to the protests and riots:
- David Dorn, a 77-year-old retired St. Louis police captain, was shot and killed by looters while defending a pawn shop. The murder was live-streamed on Facebook and became a tragic symbol of lawlessness.
- Aaron “Jay” Danielson, a conservative demonstrator and member of Patriot Prayer, was murdered in Portland by self-identified Antifa supporter Michael Reinoehl. Video footage and witness testimony revealed that Reinoehl stalked Danielson before ambushing and shooting him in the chest. Reinoehl was later killed by U.S. Marshals after resisting arrest.
- Secoriea Turner, an 8-year-old black girl, was shot while riding in a car with her mother in Atlanta. Rioters had set up an illegal roadblock near the Wendy’s where Rayshard Brooks had been killed by police. Protesters fired into the car after the mother attempted to turn around.
- Horace Lorenzo Anderson, 19, was shot and killed inside the CHOP zone in Seattle. Emergency services were delayed due to the presence of armed protesters.
- Jessica Doty Whitaker, a young woman in Indianapolis, was reportedly shot after a verbal confrontation in which political slogans like “All Lives Matter” and “Black Lives Matter” were exchanged. Though media did not fully confirm motive, the incident occurred in the riot climate and involved ideological tensions.
- Other victims included bystanders caught in crossfire, store owners defending property, and police officers struck by vehicles or assaulted in the chaos.
A Timeline of the 2020 Riots
- May 25: George Floyd dies in police custody in Minneapolis.
- May 26–28: Minneapolis erupts in protests; police precinct set on fire.
- May 29–June 2: Rioting spreads to dozens of U.S. cities; National Guard deployed in some areas.
- June 2: David Dorn is killed in St. Louis.
- June 8: CHOP is established in Seattle.
- June 20: Horace Lorenzo Anderson killed in CHOP.
- July: Portland becomes nightly battlefield; rioters attack federal courthouse.
- August 23: Jacob Blake shot by police in Kenosha, Wisconsin; another round of rioting begins.
- August 25: Kyle Rittenhouse shoots three men in self-defense after being chased during Kenosha riots.
- August 29: Aaron Danielson is murdered in Portland.
- October–December: Sporadic unrest continues, especially in Portland and New York.
Media Distortion and the Jan 6 Comparison
While CNN showed footage of buildings burning behind correspondents labeled with the chyrons “Fiery but mostly peaceful,” conservative protests were treated with relentless condemnation. The breach of the Capitol on January 6, 2021, was dubbed an “insurrection,” and the event—while serious—lasted hours and resulted in one direct homicide (Ashli Babbitt, shot by Capitol Police), while others died of unrelated medical causes.
By contrast, the 2020 riots lasted months, resulted in billions in damage, left dozens dead, and were excused, minimized, or romanticized. There were no congressional hearings for the victims of the summer riots. No major media outlets pursued follow-up interviews with the families of the dead. No effort was made to memorialize those killed by the violent protests—unless they could be framed within a leftist narrative.
Moreover, the political and media establishment treated BLM rioters with impunity. Charges were dropped en masse in cities like New York and Portland. Bail funds supported by major Democrat politicians sprang into action. Contrast that with Jan 6 defendants—many nonviolent—who have endured prolonged detentions and harsh sentences.
Conclusion: Truth Demands Equal Condemnation of All Political Violence
The 2020 riots were not peaceful. They were not spontaneous. They were enabled by leftist politicians, encouraged by progressive media, and in some cases, financially supported by influential figures in government. The double standard by which these riots were treated—as noble expressions of civil disobedience—versus the singular focus on the Capitol riot, reflects the partisan bent of American media and political institutions.
To secure justice, preserve historical truth, and prevent future violence, Americans must reject ideological favoritism and demand equal scrutiny and accountability, regardless of political alignment. A house divided cannot stand, and a republic sustained by selective outrage will not endure. The 2020 riots were a national disgrace—not just because of the destruction they wrought, but because of the lies that tried to cover them up.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
rob@christiannewsjunkie.com
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I recommend these Youtube channels and commentators for good content on politics and news from a Christian and/or conservative worldview: Albert Mohler, Allie Beth Stuckey, Bill O’Reilly, CBN News, Hugh Hewitt, John Anderson Media (Australia), Nick Freitas, Ruthless Podcast (language warning), Scott Jennings, The Hot Zone with Chuck Holton, Vince Dao, and Verdict with Ted Cruz.
For livestreaming of political protests and riots by conservative commentators, check out Nate Friedman, Cam Higby, James Klug, and Nick Shirley. I don’t agree with the perspectives of all these commentators and the language of protesters is often obscene. Most news outlets will not cover these illegal assemblies, though, because it doesn’t promote their narrative.
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