Since writing about the violent Insurrection attempt on 6thJanuary, I’ve been a little quiet on the issues. This is mostly as I’ve been trying to help the online ‘sedition hunters’ in studying film footage and identifying many of the more violent perpetrators. It’s been wonderful to see a group of anti-fascists, IT/video experts, Far Right watchers and a huge number of ordinary, decent people join in these efforts and the FBI have made reference to the help they’ve received as they continue to make arrests.
However, I just wanted to take a minute to summarise some facts and thoughts in the hope that it helps those who take an interest in American politics, Trump and the Far Right. Here are some of the most important things I’d like to share:
WHAT REALLY HAPPENED
The events of the day were far more violent, planned and concerning than we saw via TV images on the day or even via most of the mainstream news coverage of it since. The News is filled with images of the crazed QAnon guy with the facepaints and horned bear-skin (known online as ‘Jamiro-Q’ or ‘Dances with Karens’) – although it’s rarely reported that he was carrying a spear – and of the crowds on the Capitol building steps and the (often described merely as) ‘protestors’ wandering around inside the Capitol building and ransacking the place, stealing items as memorabilia. The impression may be that this was a bunch of idiots who got carried away. That is a wholly incorrect, dangerous impression!
It is rare, if ever, that they have shown the more violent actions – for example, the dragging into the crowd and battering with metal and wooden clubs of an unconscious Metropolitan Police Officer, the hurling of a fire extinguisher at Police (the officer who was killed is reported to have been struck by a fire extinguisher) and the repeated smashing of another police officer’s head with a hockey stick until he fell down the steps.
Nor has there been much reporting of the organised nature of many of the insurrectionists: the fact that so many were from organised Far Right and white supremacist groups; the fact that so many came in combat gear with armoured jackets(some wearing gas masks); and the fact that some were clear ‘leaders’ with a plan and that some knew the layout of the building and were giving instructions (including via megaphones and via radios). Some attacks were co-ordinated with groups leading violent attacks being rotated and radios being used for close communication within and between Far Right militia groups. Many who perpetrated extreme violence quickly changed clothing to avoid identification and it is interesting to note that so many had beards but were arrested clean-shaven.
It has also become apparent from identifications and arrests that many of the most violent insurrectionists were from ‘militarised’ backgrounds – ex-military, serving police/sheriff department officers/state troopers and even fire department officers. It has long been documented that Far Right groups across the US have targeted recruitment at Law Enforcement Officers and it’s clear there’s a big crossover. There’s clearly a kind of ‘chicken and egg’ situation there: arguably, some who are attracted to a career in US Law Enforcement are already interested or involved in Far Right groups, whereas some may not have been before being targeted.
It is clear that a significant percentage of the crowd were misguided individuals, believers in the crazed QAnon conspiracy theory (promoted from the start by Russian trolls) and those who believe every word spoken by The Racist Rapist (and therefore believed the Election Fraud lies) and had no violent intentions. Even so, the vast majority had insurrectionist intentions. Many got ‘swept up in the moment’ and joined in to some extent, but to characterise what happened in this way is dangerous and fails to recognise the violence, the co-ordination and the murderous intent of many.
A significant percentage of insurrectionists had and used weapons: some had flagpoles, clubs, hockey sticks, baseball bats, and metal bars; others had bear spray, pepper spray, mace and smoke bombs; others used fire extinguishers or metal police batons and shields they had taken. And one man was arrested after Molotov cocktails and a gun was discovered in his nearby vehicle. And don’t forget that pipe bombs were left at the Democrat and Republican Committee Headquarters and were found inside the Capitol building – though it’s unclear if some were used as decoys to occupy police.
Let us also not forget that, among the interminable chants of ‘USA’ and ‘Stop The Steal’, there was also ‘Hang Mike Pence’ and regular shouts to ‘Kill Pelosi!’ and ‘Kill Schumer’. Outside, a wooden gallows with a noose was erected along with a wooden cross. And several insurrectionists, including some who entered The Senate chamber were carrying bundles of ‘flex-cuffs’ – double zip-tie handcuffs. There is little doubt that, for many of those involved, their aim was to capture – and possibly kill – a number of prominent Senators and Vice President Pence.
One last staggering detail about what happened is this. In November, Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District elected Lauren Boebert to the House of Representatives. She is a gun-totin’, QAnon-supporting, right-wing extremist. She made a video bragging how she will defy the gun laws and carry a weapon at the Senate. The day before the insurrection attempt and even since that day, she refused to go through Capitol building metal detectors. She has been accused of giving an unauthorised tour of the building the day before the insurrection attempt. And on the day of the attack, despite being told by the Sergeant at Arms in the chamber not to use social media, she tweeted details of the police movements and of the whereabouts of Nancy Pelosi! How she has not been arrested is beyond my comprehension!
WEAPONS, FAR RIGHT GROUPS AND THE IMMINENT & LONG-TERM THREAT
Thankfully, in Washington DC (the District of Colombia) guns are not permitted to be carried in plain sight (‘open carry’) or ‘concealed carry’ by the public. If they had been, it’s not hard to imagine the bloodshed that would have ensued. However, the FBI have confirmed that they are tracking online discussions and plots to commit acts of violence in ALL FIFTY STATES over the next few days up to and including Inauguration Day on 20th January.
Some 40 States have some form of open or concealed carry laws which permit the carrying of firearms by the public. This has grown enormously since the mid-80’s, mostly via the strong support of Republican politicians, eager to please the NRA and the arms manufacturers whose money they have so often taken. We’ve seen how the weapons often brandished by Far Right groups includes assault rifles, semi-automatic weapons and even gun-style flamethrowers (indeed, Elon Musk’s Boring Company quickly sold out of the 20,000 flamethrower guns they were selling at $500-a-pop!)
During The Racist Rapist’s Presidency, all across America, there has been a growth in Far Right, white supremacist, fascist and Neo-Nazi groups. There are the Proud Boys, Boogaloo groups, Oathkeepers, Three-Percenters, the American Nazi Party, Aryan Nations, Attomwaffen Division,various white supremacist ‘Patriot’ groups, the Ku Klux Klan and numerous others. Many of these groups were identified in the insurrection attempt in Washington – one of the most concerning sights was of a group of at least 12 ‘Oathkeepers’, dressed in military gear with helmets and radios, moving in a co-ordinated line through a gap in the crowd to position themselves at the top of the steps of the Capitol building.
Domestic Far Right terrorism has been identified as the number one threat to the United States. White supremacist/Far Right individuals and groups have been responsible for a host of domestic terrorist attacks including the Oklahoma City bombing, the massacre at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, the massacre at El Paso and the horrors of Charlottesville. And many of these groups regularly meet to undertake ‘training’ which includes firearms practice, tactical warfare and use of communications.
In October, the FBI arrested 13 people suspected of plotting to kidnap (and likely kill) Gretchen Whitmer, the Governor of Michigan and to violently overthrow the State government. Their plans were detailed and in the advanced stages. Shortly before this and just after The Racist Rapist had tweeted ‘LIBERATE MICHIGAN’ (in all caps), a heavily-armed militia group forced their way into the State’s capitol building shouting abuse and threats.
Given these facts and the continued encouragement (and lies) from Trump and his enablers, it is hard not to imagine that the next few days will see NUMEROUS ACTS OF MASS VIOLENCE AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF SIGNIFICANT DEATHS. The Far Right has been emboldened by Trumpand, beyond the next few days, over the next few years I fully expect to see a significant increase in acts of domestic terrorism committed by these groups and individuals. Trump has inspired and unleashed Far Right, white supremacist fascism and this, added to the fact that there are now more weapons than people in the US, is a recipe for disaster!
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Finally, I want to address the actions of the Law Enforcement Officers involved. Yes, we watched in amazement at the seeming lack of enforcement and so many of us recognised the enormous difference in policing compared to Black Lives Matter protests – or, for that matter, if the insurrectionists had been mostly black. And yes, we have all seen the fact that some Officers did nothing to prevent the mob, actively encouraged them, praised them, opened barriers, waved them on and even took a selfie with them. Many of those officers have been identified and are facing sanctions.
However, three things are now clear: firstly, that the order was given for them not to use lethal force which meant that their guns were to remain undrawn (and this rendered them unable to control or stop the riotous mob); secondly, that a large number of officers acted with immense courage and fought fierce battles with an exceptionally violent mob armed with weapons. Many officers were injured, one was violently murdered and one committed suicide two days later; and thirdly, the officers there were from the Capitol and Metropolitan Police Departments, were hugely outnumbered and unprepared for the attack and were not backed up for several hours. Even once the siege began, urgent calls from Senators and local Law Enforcement Chiefs for back up (such as the National Guard) were ignored or turned down for hours!
The real questions are why were US Law Enforcement Agencies seemingly entirely unprepared for the very predictable violent assault and why, once it was clear that a violent insurrection was taking place, was there a long delay before back-up was provided?!
It has been reported that, having consistently encouraged the insurrection with months of lies and having made inflammatory statements to the crowd immediately before the attack, Trump watched the events unfold at the White House and was amazed that staff there were not as delighted as he was about the attack. It has been reported that he did not approve the immediate deployment of the National Guard. And security officials from across Europe have described their utter shock at how all the standard protocols and security measures for such an event were simply not in place. It is inconceivable to me that this was not by conscious design!!
There have so far been mixed declarations made by various Law Enforcement Agencies about their planning for the event and their knowledge or anticipation of possible violence. Without running through all the details, the Police, FBI and Defense Department have released a number of statements which are contradictory and wholly unsatisfactory. What is clear, however, is this: immediately after the Election, Trump fired his Defense Secretary and certain other DefenseDepartment staff and installed, in their place, Trump sycophants, racists and conspiracy theorists! Many other people high up in US Law Enforcement Agencies are Trump appointees.
Watching the events, my thoughts turned to that extraordinary meeting between Kevin Costner and Donald Sutherland in the middle of Oliver Stone’s film ‘JFK’. I attach below the most salient section.
Tom Lane
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