January 6 Was Entirely Predictable: Here Are Some Of The Culprits
On the first anniversary of the January 6 insurrection attempt, holding those responsible to account remains vital to national security. Over 725 arrests have now been made, including 75 charged with using dangerous or deadly weapons against police officers, in a violent attempt to overturn the will of American voters and prevent the peaceful transfer of power. Such politically motivated violence by any group is universally condemned by public-safety professionals.
Twelve months later, the threat has morphed and shifted – not dissipated. Per the SITE Intelligence Group, “one year after J6, the ecosystem of extremist actors promoting misinformation with the aim of violent unrest and anti-government action is thriving – but the movement lacks the central focus as that seen last year prior to the Capitol riot.”
Like many in the security business, I was tracking the threat online and delivered specific internal and external threat briefings in the days before the insurrection. Yet in my “civilian” life – which is to say away from fellow public-safety professionals – I was surprised to hear a resounding lack of awareness or recognition of the groups and networks who helped organize and foment the Capitol insurrection, even after the predictable violence ensued. This was true across a broad spectrum of education levels, political outlooks, foreign or domestic locations, etc. A brief summary or overview seemed to be worthwhile.
This article will focus on a handful of specific domestic extremist groups at the center of this attack on our constitutional model of republican democracy. Not all participants in the violence at the U.S. Capitol were a part of organized groups, to be sure. But three distinct networks of extremists were highly visible and present in significant numbers.
1. The so-called Proud Boys were predictably present on January 6, 2021. A self-identified “Western Chauvinist” organization often clad in black and gold, the overtly racist and misogynist Proud Boys have participated in an array of violent and criminal public activities in recent years. Of the paramilitary hate groups which participated in the 2021 insurrection, the Proud Boys have had the most identified members arrested and charged.
Formally named just a few years ago, the Proud Boys attempt to publicly market themselves as a likable bunch of drinking buddies, out for good time. Yet their members are repeatedly involved in acts of violence nationwide, belying the deeply racist, antisemitic, and misogynistic core of the group’s bigoted belief system. Frequently brawling with the leftwing Antifascist (Antifa) movement – online and occasionally in person – the Proud Boys have had dozens of members charged with serious crimes ranging from aggravated battery to murder.
Despite a false front as a likable bunch, they have been recorded using bats and ax handles to attack peaceful and unarmed Black Lives Matter protesters, and assembling in significant numbers to storm the Capitol and commit violent felonies against local and federal law enforcement officers. Social media exchanges prior to the insurrection reveal a clear intent to “blend in” to the crowd by wearing plain clothes not bearing their signature colors or emblems. At least 30 individuals associated with the group have been arrested and charged in the January 6 insurrection.
Proud Boys (ADL)
Proud Boys (SPLC)
2. The so-called Three Percenter movement is a looser conglomeration of rightwing, anti-government extremists now operating nationwide. Three Percenters (sometimes using the tags 3 Percenter or 3% or III% or simply III) operate under the historical falsehood that only three percent of the population of the American colonies took up arms against the British during the Revolutionary War.
The false patriot group is essentially a spin-off of the previous anti-government militia movement of the previous three decades, turbocharged by the election of a Black president and an increasingly bizarre set of conspiracy theories. The conglomeration of racist and Islamophobic paramilitary subgroups operating under the Three Percenter banner believe that the modern American republic is akin to the occupying British regime of the 1770s, and will need to be violently overthrown by force.
Members are radically opposed to any government regulation, particularly on issues related to firearms. Their online rhetoric is particularly violent and apocalyptic. Members of various Three Percenter groups have been charged and convicted of crimes including firearms violations, arson, and kidnapping. Of significant concern, Three Percenter adherents have also been identified within multiple law enforcement and military units. At least seven individuals associated with the movement have been arrested and charged in the January 6 insurrection.
Three Percenters (ADL)
Three Percenters (SPLC)
3. Finally, we have the so-called Oath Keepers, who envision themselves as enforcers of the U.S. Constitution. Like others in the false patriot movement, they have gone to great lengths to recruit and groom current or former members of law enforcement and the military. In fact, their often racist, homophobic, and Islamophobic actions have frequently often put them at odds with local, state and federal authorities.
Like the aforementioned Three Percenters, the Oath Keepers are a loose confederation of “chapters” scattered across the country. Also an evolution of the earlier militia movement, the Oath Keepers spin is to oppose the tyrannical American republic (sound familiar?) by claiming that their violent and extremist views are in fact supporting the vision of the Founding Fathers. Slightly more structured than the Three Percenters, joining a chapter requires paying dues – which results in many "loosely affiliated" members.
A 2021 online leak of membership records and other details displayed that the Oath Keepers had in fact managed to recruit multiple current and former police officers and military members, as well as local politicians associated with the so-called Tea Party movement. Although these numbers were relatively small, they are concerning nonetheless given the groups violent rhetoric and virulent anti-government stance. At least 16 individuals associated with the movement have been arrested and charged in the January 6 insurrection.
Oath Keepers (ADL)
Oath Keepers (SPLC)
Finally, an array of additional resources are available. The “Just Security” blog provides an excellent summary of the current state of the investigation and charges pending from the January 6 insurrection. The “Lawfare” blog has published an excellent assessment of the radical domestic violent extremist (DVE) movement post-insurrection.
And the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) continues to seek information regarding the violent offenders who participated in the 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. Safety and security professionals must do everything in our power to counter domestic extremists, but we need the assistance of an alert and aware public.
“Just Security” January 6 investigation web portal
“Lawfare” domestic violent extremist assessment
FBI tip line
Senior Analyst, Energy Efficiency Planning & Evaluation
3 年Great information; thanks, Tom!