Charlottesville vs. Capitol Siege: Differences and Similarities

Editor’s Note: This is a work in progress.

Since I keep hearing comparisons between Charlottesville and the Capitol Siege, I would like to compare and contrast the two events because there are major differences.

Similarities

• Baked Alaska and Nick Fuentes, AmNats and Patriot groups were present in Charlottesville and DC
• Several demonstrators brought Confederate flags
• Bad optics involving people like the QAnon Shaman who had their own agenda
• Charlottesville and Capitol Siege were both promoted on social media
• Charlottesville and the Capitol Siege were public events

Differences

• The Capitol Siege was a MAGA event focused on Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud. It attracted Trump supporters. Charlottesville had nothing to do with Donald Trump and was about preserving Confederate monuments
• The Capitol Siege was a civnat event hosted by Donald Trump and Alex Jones. Charlottesville was an ethnat event that attracted people who were not Trump supporters
• Charlottesville spiraled out of control because it was disrupted by Antifa. In contrast, Antifa did not come out on January 6. There is no evidence Antifa disrupted the MAGA March
• Ethnats and Antifa who were the two sides in Charlottesville did not play a major role in the Capitol Siege. Instead, it was Patriots and MAGA vs. the police
• In Charlottesville, ethnats had a federal court order and the legal right to be at the Unite the Right rally in Lee Park. In contrast, the people who participated in the Capitol Siege had no legal right to be in the Capitol.