What does ‘insurrection’, ‘sedition’ and ‘coup’ mean

What does ‘insurrection’, ‘sedition’ and ‘coup’ mean

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Many of his statements use several words to refer to what happened – “insurrection”, “sedition” and “coup”.

Here is an analysis of what those terms mean.

The words “insurrection” and “insurrectionists” are being used widely by the media and others to define the attack on the Capitol building and the rioters involved.

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According to Merriam-Webster, “insurrection” is the “act of revolt against civil authority or an established government.” Other definitions, such as the Cambridge Dictionary, specify that the act is generally violent. Synonyms include “revolt” or “uprising,” according to Merriam-Webster.

“What happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States,” Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, said in his Senate plenary address on Wednesday night, after the Capitol was secured.

Insurrection or rebellion is a crime under Title 18 of the U.S. Code, punishable by a fine, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, or both. Being found guilty of insurrection also makes someone ineligible to hold a position in the United States.

Sedition

“Sedition” is the “incitement to resistance or insurrection against legal authority”, according to Merriam-Webster.

Among those who used the floor on Wednesday was President-elect Joe Biden, who said the Capitol riot “borders on sedition and must end now”.

Similar to the insurrection, the act of sedition is also a crime under the United States Code, which characterizes it as two or more people who conspire to overthrow the United States government, or “prevent, prevent or delay the enforcement” of American law by force. It is punishable by a fine and up to 20 years in prison.

Some elected officials have brought the charge of sedition directly to President Trump, including the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio and Sam Liccardo, mayor of San Jose, California, and a former federal prosecutor. In a statement, he said the president “should be tried for sedition”.

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AN “coup”, short for “coup d’etat”, is widely characterized by Merriam-Webster as a “sudden and decisive exercise of force in politics”, but particularly “the violent overthrow or alteration of an existing government by a small group”.

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Some described Wednesday’s event as a “failed” or “attempted” coup, as apparent efforts to overthrow the presidential election were unsuccessful.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, wrote in a statement late on Wednesday: “We must call today’s violence for what it really is: a failed coup attempt.”

Retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, a key witness at impeachment hearings against President Trump, told Anderson Cooper on Thursday that he thought the events on the Capitol could be classified as a “failed coup”.

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