Massachusetts teen publicly identified family members in DC for election protest

A Massachusetts teen has publicly identified her family members who were in Washington, D.C., participating in protests ahead of the Capitol riot.

Helena Duke, 18, called out her family members in a tweet by sharing a video of her mom, Therese Duke, getting punched in the face after allegedly trying to grab a woman’s phone.

mom I think you mean to say that powerful black woman punched you for harassment… https://t.co/yITQZ5DWhT

— Helena Duke (@duke_helena) January 7, 2021

“I think a lot of it came from the fact that it was just very hypocritical, and what she was doing in this video was incredibly wrong,” Helena Duke told “As it Happens” host Carol Off.

Helena Duke said her mother has lost her job following the incident. UMass Memorial, while not confirming the identity of the employee, said in a tweet that a “caregiver” has been fired for their alleged involvement in the Capitol riots.

pic.twitter.com/ebeqyqVLo4

— UMass Memorial (@umassmemorial) January 8, 2021

Ashanti Smith, the woman accused of punching Therese Duke, started a GoFundMe that received more than $130,000 in donations. In the fundraiser description, she said she has been suspended from her job pending an investigation and is facing legal repercussions from the fight.

Washington, D.C., and other state capitals are preparing for violence that may occur this weekend and next week as President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration nears.

This story was updated at 4:25 p.m. to reflect that it was not known if the family members participated in Wednesday’s storming of the Capitol.