Insurrection Narrative

[GURPS]

As the Insurrection Narrative Crumbles, Democrats Cling to it More Desperately Than Ever

Twice in the last six weeks, warnings were issued about imminent, grave threats to public safety posed by the same type of right-wing extremists who rioted at the Capitol on January 6. And both times, these warnings ushered in severe security measures only to prove utterly baseless.

First we had the hysteria over the violence we were told was likely to occur at numerous state capitols on Inauguration Day. “Law enforcement and state officials are on high alert for potentially violent protests in the lead-up to Inauguration Day, with some state capitols boarded up and others temporarily closed ahead of Wednesday's ceremony,” announced CNN. In an even scarier formulation, NPR intoned that “the FBI is warning of protests and potential violence in all 50 state capitals ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.”

 

[GURPS]

2 months later, where’s the evidence GOP lawmakers were involved in Jan 6 riots as Dems claim?


The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia hasn’t given up investigating allegations that Republican House members gave Capitol tours in the days before the riot. Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are ringing the alarm bells calling the unsubstantiated allegations “dangerous.”

“There was never any name. There was never anyone who anyone saw do something to have the charge of basically running reconnaissance tours leveled against them,” stated House Administration Committee ranking member Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL). “I think it’s part of the problem we have around here, that there will be accusations leveled and the media discusses those accusations but we don’t ask the simple question – who are they talking about? We can’t speculate because that’s a very dangerous place for anyone to be.”

Colorado’s Rep. Lauren Boebert was one of those accused of giving tours. She categorically denied it.

 

[GURPS]

A Study Shows VERY FEW Capitol Hill Rioters Were QAnon Red-Staters With Ties to 'Right Wing' Groups

The researchers also looked at cell phone data such as where in the country Capitol rioters called. Most were in the eastern, central, and southern parts of the country.

Screenshot of study’s findings.


Could the cancel culture and being surrounded by people with Trump Derangement Syndrome, and other anti-conservatives have helped trigger the attack?

They claimed some of the rioters were on the social media app Parler, though efforts to discover other social media apps used by the people arrested were not noted.

The survey found that approximately 10% percent of the Capitol rioters had a connection with Proud Boys, which they describe as a “hate group,” and Oath Keepers.

Nearly 90% had no ties or right-wing affiliations whatsoever.

And they found out that 85% of the people arrested were business owners or held down white collar jobs.

WTTW TV reported that researchers hadn’t even needed a “business owner” category before when looking into protest groups. Robert Pape, a political science professor at the University of Chicago oversaw the study and said the caliber of people at the riot was surprising.

 

[GURPS]

The January 6 Prosecutions Hit a Speed Bump


Two weeks ago, I wrote of the Department of Justice’s overreach respecting some of the hundreds of January 6 defendants. On Friday the D.C. Circuit clipped the department’s wings. I expect more such losses as time goes on and the Department must actually present evidence in contested trials.

The ploy of keeping in D.C. jails without bail some of the protestors who engaged in no specific violent acts at the Capitol until their cases can be heard was very obviously designed to compel them to plea bargain so they could return home to their families and jobs, and the three-judge panel wasn’t buying it. If you think that there is a partisan tinge to their decision, you’d be wrong, Judge Robert Wilkins was confirmed under Barack Obama; Judge Judith Rogers under Bill Clinton, and Judge George Katsas under Donald Trump. It was bipartisan.

The case made it to the Circuit Court upon appeal from a detention order by Judge Royce Lamberth (a senior judge first appointed to the bench by then-president Ronald Reagan). I mention the judicial appointment history of these judges as an antidote to the all-too-common implications that judges are always using the law to cover their personal political beliefs. Sometimes it appears they do. Other times -- like this one -- they are honestly applying the Constitution and law to the facts.

 

[GURPS]

Capitol Riot Cancel Culture Revs Into High Gear as News Outlets Target Crowdfunding Sites



Yet something entirely new happened on Sunday. A team of USA Today reporters targeted online crowdfunding platforms that allow people accused of crimes related to the Capitol riot to raise money for their legal defenses. In fact, the article suggested that USA Today reporters actively pressured companies to cancel defendants’ crowdfunding campaigns. The report painted these desperate people’s attempts to raise funds for their legal defenses as something nefarious.

“Defendants accused in the Capitol riot Jan. 6 crowdfund their legal fees online, using popular payment processors and an expanding network of fundraising platforms, despite a crackdown by tech companies,” USA Today reported. “The Capitol riot extremists and others are engaging these companies in a game of cat-and-mouse as they spring from one fundraising tool to another, utilizing new sites, usernames and accounts.”

In a particularly telling passage, the USA Today reporters appear to brag about getting companies like PayPal, Stripe, and Venmo to drop certain crowdfunding campaigns.

Wednesday, a USA TODAY reporter was able to donate $10 to [Proud Boys member Joe] Biggs’ fundraiser on Our Freedom Funding, using Stripe to process the payment.
A few hours later, his campaign disappeared from Our Freedom Funding.
Friday, a USA TODAY reporter donated to [Proud Boys member Dominic] Pezzola’s fundraiser using Stripe. Stripe told USA TODAY it does not comment on individual users.
A USA TODAY reporter was able to make a $1 donation to Pezzola’s fundraiser using Venmo, a payment app owned by PayPal. After being alerted by USA TODAY, Venmo removed the account.
Soon a PayPal account took its place. PayPal caught that and removed it, too.
“Any attempt to circumvent account closures is not permitted, and the company will ban these accounts when detected,” PayPal’s [spokesman Justin] Higgs said.

 

[Hijinx]

Didn't I read that in some cases they stopped letting a person charged to use their back accounts?
How can someone hire a lawyer with no bank account access.

They don't block a murderers bank account, how can they block an account of someone who went to the capitol?

 

[GURPS]

Politico Reveals Shocking Truth About January 6 Capitol Riot


Democrats deployed thousands of National Guard — and mistreated them — over this?

A POLITICO analysis of the Capitol riot-related cases shows that almost a quarter of the more than 230 defendants formally and publicly charged so far face only misdemeanors. Dozens of those arrested are awaiting formal charges, even as new cases are being unsealed nearly every day.

In recent days, judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys have all indicated that they expect few of these “MAGA tourists” to face harsh sentence.

There are two main reasons: Although prosecutors have loaded up their charging documents with language about the existential threat of the insurrection to the republic, the actions of many of the individual rioters often boiled down to trespassing. And judges have wrestled with how aggressively to lump those cases in with those of the more sinister suspects.

“My bet is a lot of these cases will get resolved and probably without prison time or jail time,” said Erica Hashimoto, a former federal public defender who is now a law professor at Georgetown. “One of the core values of this country is that we can protest if we disagree with our government. Of course, some protests involve criminal acts, but as long as the people who are trying to express their view do not engage in violence, misdemeanors may be more appropriate than felonies.”

 

[GURPS]

Did a Federal Court's Ruling Deliver a Blow to the Capitol Hill Insurrection Narrative?



Was it a riot? Sure. Was it an insurrection? It’s a trigger word. Liberal peddle it anytime you mention what happened on Capitol Hill on January 6 when Congress was certifying the 2020 election results. Thousands of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol Building. Five people died during the event. Our own Julio Rosas was in the thick of it covering the melees inside and outside of the building. It was mayhem, but this notion that it was akin to the Storming of the Bastille took a hit with a recent federal court ruling that secured them a pretrial release as both were deemed not a danger to the public. We’re talking about the “zip tie” dude, who didn’t come to DC with these devices stuffed in his bag pre-travel. He took them off the table inside the Capitol Building (via The Hill):

A federal appeals court on Friday ruled that a mother-son duo who face charges in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot may be eligible for a pretrial release, arguing that they do not pose a continued danger to the public.
The appeals court for the Washington, D.C., Circuit ruled that Lisa Eisenhart and her son, Eric Munchel, who face multiple charges including conspiracy and violent entry or disorderly conduct, “had a unique opportunity to obstruct democracy on January 6 because of the electoral college vote tally taking place that day, and the concurrently scheduled rallies and protests.”
Writing for the majority, Judge Robert Wilkins argued, “Because Munchel and Eisenhart did not vandalize any property or commit violence, the presence of the group was critical to their ability to obstruct the vote and to cause danger to the community.”
“Without it, Munchel and Eisenhart—two individuals who did not engage in any violence and who were not involved in planning or coordinating the activities—seemingly would have posed little threat,” Wilkins added.

On March 29, it was official. The mother-son duo was released from prison. Judge Wilkins is an Obama-appointed judge for the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. And this ruling may be a harbinger of things to come, as prosecutors appear to be having a lot of trouble making a case against the rioters who have been charged. Nuance is a killer for liberals. They don’t comprehend it, and that can land you in trouble fast with judges who understand it fully when dealing with these cases. The arguments over nonviolent and violent activities in these trials will be key (via WaPo):

A man photographed inside the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot with a handful of plastic handcuffs and the mother with whom he traveled to Washington will be released from jail to home confinement ahead of their trial after weeks of debate over how dangerous they might be.
Eric Munchel, 30, and his mother, Lisa Marie Eisenhart, 57, both accused of trespassing at the Capitol and obstructing the congressional confirmation of President Biden’s victory, can await trial on home confinement in Tennessee…
[…]
The two other judges on the three-judge panel agreed with Wilkins, an Obama appointee. But only one, a recent Trump appointee to the bench, said the mother and son should be released immediately. The other two agreed to send the case back to Lamberth for a second look. Prosecutors on Monday decided to agree to the home confinement.
[…]
While federal judges have been vocal in their dismay over the events of Jan. 6, prosecutors have failed in some cases to convince them that individuals accused of taking part deserve to be jailed pending trial. Chief U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell chided prosecutors earlier this month for making and then withdrawing sensational allegations about planning among the far-right Proud Boys for the Capitol breach.

 

[GURPS]

Michael Flynn Judge Emmet Sullivan Decides He's Not Done Beclowning Himself





Of note here is that the judge is keeping someone in jail without bail based strictly on the generalized public statements of someone that person doesn’t even know. Trump continues to maintain that the election was stolen from him. Ok, so what? What does that have to do with denying people, many of whom never did anything violent, behind bars without even the option of bail?
And look, Jack Whitton, the rioter in question here, is not blameless, but that doesn’t mean our justice system should turn into some bastardized version of the former Soviet Union. People that commit serious, violent crimes still often get bail in this country. A massive protest where a relatively select few clearly stepped over the line does not necessitate throwing out all judicial norms.

There’s this weird tension where if you opine that January 6th was bad, but also that the legal system should be fair to those involved, that you are somehow excusing what happened. That’s not what I’m doing here, and anyone that thinks that simplistically should probably focus more on developing their ability to understand nuance. Anyone who trespassed and destroyed property should be prosecuted, but they shouldn’t be held without bail as if they murdered someone. Further, anyone who was otherwise unarmed but chose to attack cops should also be prosecuted, but they should receive the same treatment within the system that others who have committed similar crimes face.

 

[vraiblonde]

I dislike the term "beclowning" when used to describe a freaking federal judge who is using his power to jail his political enemies. That's a very serious thing, and calling it "beclowning" makes it sound like, oh haha, what a card that guy is, eh?

 

[Hijinx]

Our own Julio Rosas was in the thick of it covering the melees inside and outside of the building. It was mayhem, :

So by your admission your "Journalist" was in the thick of it.
Did your journalist have a special permission to enter with the rioters?
Is he above the law?
Was he reporting or encouraging.
Was he not breaking the same law the rioters were?
How many other "Journalists" were there? and why haven't they been charged?

 

[GURPS]

Video Shows U.S. Capitol Police Gave Protesters OK to Enter

 

[SamSpade]

Video Shows U.S. Capitol Police Gave Protesters OK to Enter

Saw those kind of vids months ago - which is what led me to believe it was bullchit to begin with. Some vids showed confrontation, smashing windows, pushing through gates - but most showed nitwits walking around unimpeded, guards LETTING them pass and people taking selfies. Hardly the barbarian horde the press wants to suggest. Where were the guns? For a group so massively intent on gun ownership - nobody INSIDE had one. Where were the fires? The wholesale destruction? Yeah, a couple picture frames got smashed.

How many dollars' worth of damage? A few thousand?

What I also want to know is - what's the name of the guy who shot Ashli Babbitt? EVERY OTHER COP who shoots someone gets named. Why not this guy?

 

[GURPS]

Where were the fires? The wholesale destruction? Yeah, a couple picture frames got smashed.

If this had been an AntiFA / BLM Riot the Capitol would have burned

 

[GURPS]

I Think You Already Know the Reason Why Leftists Are Obsessing Over the Capitol Hill Riot Again


It's not hard to see why this is happening. We have an ongoing border crisis, inflation is rising, our infrastructure is being hacked, we have a war brewing in Gaza, China is getting more aggressive with Taiwan, and Russia is on the move again. All of this is happening under Biden's watch, and other crises are of his own doing. Democrats are barely hanging onto the House. They need to "wag the dog" here.

To his left, Biden angered the progressive wing by backing a $735 million aid package to Israel and stepped away from a student loan debt forgiveness initiative. He's besieged on all sides and can't take it. So, rehash January 6 because…that's what's on everyone's mind right now.

It's not. We've moved on. I've said this before, but Bill Maher probably had the most grounded commentary about the January 6 riot, noting that this attack isn't representative of all Trump supporters. He did go on to say that Trump didn't help the middle class, which I disagree with, but he also took a swipe at his state, California, and its hyper-regulatory regime that is forcing many to flee to better pastures. This commentary aired a couple of weeks after the incident. If hardcore liberals like Maher could see the nuance here, then others did as well. Only the insufferable echo chambers of the liberal media think that the riot is still fresh in the minds of Americans now.

 

[Bare-ya-cuda]

If this had been an AntiFA / BLM Riot the Capitol would have burned

And no one held accountable!

 

[vraiblonde]

Whenever the Marxists make a disproportionately big deal out of something I presume they are wagging the dog, because historically they are.

Just like whenever a prominent Democrat politician or journalist speaks, I presume they are lying.

 

[Hijinx]

The so called insurrection at the Capitol wasn't even a good strong protest.
If a rogue, and frightened cop had not killed a Veteran woman it would not even have been of note.

 

[GURPS]

 

[GURPS]

New Jan. 6 video shows police ‘walk away’ after black-clad men smash windows, FBI uninterested?


During an interview with OANN, Powell suggested that the two men in black who busted out windows and reportedly attempted to push protesters inside may have been FBI informants.

He witnessed the incident as he was on the east side of the building on Jan. 6 and commented on what he saw that day.

“Two men I saw attacking the building, breaking windows, and even pushing people inside have not been arrested. And they are not on the list of suspects being sought by the FBI,” he opined. “I provided the FBI with 29 minutes of high definition footage, 1080p, more than five months ago. Neither one of these men has been arrested.”

“They are not in any of the 400+ indictments, I’ve checked them all,” Powell added. “There’s not one frame of video, not one still photograph on either of these men on the FBI’s webpage that ask people to give them tips on who the rioters were. The FBI’s YouTube channel or their Facebook page. They’re putting up all kinds of fuzzy pictures, but they’re not putting up the HDI images that I sent them.”

Powell along with other protesters stood guard in front of the smashed windows and prevented people from going inside the Capitol. The police then opened the doors of the building and protesters surged in. There is also footage of individuals pushing protesters into the building.