Video shows the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was a “completely peaceful protest.”
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No, the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 wasn’t a ‘completely peaceful protest’
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- Rioters forcibly breached and vandalized the Capitol, attacking police officers and chanting "Hang Mike Pence!"
- The video footage shows only part of the events at the Capitol that day.
INSURRECTION DEBUNKED," begins a June 1 headline on the blog Gateway Pundit. "New video shows completely peaceful protest inside US Capitol on Jan. 6."
The footage shows people milling around the Capitol, some carrying Trump flags. Someone can be heard singing the national anthem while others shout "freedom" and "USA."
This isn’t the first time someone has downplayed what happened on Jan. 6, when rioters breached the Capitol by forcing past barricades and law enforcement. Police officers were attacked and the building was vandalized.
Just because this wasn’t shown in the footage shared by the Gateway Pundit does not mean that the events of that amounted to a "completely peaceful protest."
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As we’ve previously reported, rioters smashed windows, broke doors and ransacked offices. They chanted "Hang Mike Pence!" They caused the House and Senate to shut down for several hours.
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The Justice Department has charged more than 400 people in connection with the riot, according to the George Washington University Center on Extremism. The charges against the alleged rioters include violence with a deadly weapon, assault, disorderly conduct, and unlawful possession of firearms.
Charging documents say that rioters grabbed a police officer, dragged him and struck him. One rioter used a metal flagpole to attack a police officer.
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Our Sources
Blog post, June 1, 2021
Instagram post, June 1, 2021
PolitiFact, The ridiculous claim that those at the Capitol Jan. 6 resembled a ‘normal tourist visit,’ May 13, 2021
NBCUniversal, Protestors walk through Capitol Building, Statuary Hall outside of House chamber, Jan. 6, 2021
U.S. Department of Justice, Capitol Breach Cases, Accessed May 13, 2021
George Washington University Center on Extremism, Capitol Hill Siege, Accessed May 13, 2021
New York Times, Officers’ Injuries, Including Concussions, Show Scope of Violence at Capitol Riot, Updated May 7, 2021
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No, the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6 wasn’t a ‘completely peaceful protest’
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