1/ This is a new thread on the first minutes of the Jan 6 assault on the capitol. The attack was lead by Proud Boys, but by timing it is clear that fence-removal fronts were also part of the same effort. Essential background is this WSJ analysis:
2/ I am giving a timeline based on the timestamp 12:53:56 of Parler video M81rH3MqmpMQ I posted earlier in . It shows an individual #BlackSkiMask #FBIAFO148 removing barriers near to the police confrontation. Photos FBI/M81rH3MqmpMQ/Benjamin Reports.
3/ Overhead shot from WSJ with my annotations added. A. where PB organizers and other crowd gathered before attack. B. initial unmanned barrier removed. C. initial police confrontation. D. Location #BlackSkiMask removed barriers. E. Field where other instigators entered.
4/ Leading the removal of the unmanned barrier and initial police confrontation was #whitehoodie. Just before that kickoff, #whitehoodie spoke with two men in the crowd at location A: PB leader Biggs and another #PBManInBlack. See at 3:44:10 and 3:44:37.
5/ The timing is at around 12:51:42 #whitehoodie is talking to Biggs; at around 12:52:01 talking to #PBManInBlack. He pushes down the first unmanned fence (location B) at 12:53:18. By 12:53:42 rioters are on the field at D and E some ways in. Must have entered within seconds.
The first rioter on the field at E is #becivilguy, carrying a bullhorn. His initial entry is seen in Status Coup video at about 7:45. Hashtag #becivilguy as he keeps saying "everybody be civil" in video at about 2:40.
7/ Picking back up... Also across the fence at E by 12:53:42 are #whipflagguy and #armswideguy. Sorry for the poor pics. The closer rear #whipflagguy view is from partway up the field with #individual4 and two other early fence-crossers.
8/ Pre-arranged agreement seems likely between some of these early instigators and the PB-lead assault on the barricades. Bullhorns and flags are tools to help guide the mob to follow, and some like #whipflagguy are encouraging that. It distracts the police and outflanks them.
9/ Next on the field by 12:53:50 is this guy in camo top and pants with a red hat and string bag on his back. I believe this is Joshua Black, who was wounded in his cheek by a nonlethal round and photographed bleeding in the senate. Later arrested. wsfa.com/2021/01/14/lee…
10/ At 12:53:42 this woman starts to climb the rail and urge protestors into the field. "Patriots go!" "They're breaking the law!". The bullhorn and the timing speak of preparation and coordination with the PB-lead attack.
11/ Three more instigators that urge protestors to follow across the do-not-cross line: guy waving "come in" from 12:53:54; woman waving a tree flag from 12:54:11; another guy urging the crowd to follow at 12:54:22.
12/ By 12:53:56 #blackskimask is removing barriers and then encouraging the crowd. He helps to remove more barriers nearer the capitol. A PB link: he rode to Washington on a bus with Robert Gieswein, a now-arrested PB rioter and capitol intruder.
13/ #blackskimask removes barriers at the bottom of a set of temporary steps at D on my map. From WYSIWYGTV and Silvercloud (Shutterstock) a few minutes before we see #mastersarge #magaretwhitecoat and #individual4 sitting there, near the edge of the plaza where the PB gathered.
14/ #indivual4 (carrying a flag) and #mastersarge proceed up the field. Both #individual4 and #MAGAretWhiteCoat help in removing barriers at the capitol steps. One more barrier remover enters: #bluebag, who flanks police and pulls away the barrier alongside conflict point C.
15/ At conflict point C mob directly confronts police. Back: #whipflag and others at E distract officers from aiding at the barrier. Fore: identifiable PB members stay back from this assault, but the videographer (tan, blue hood) who was with PB all day records it as PB event.
16/ Side note: pipe bombs at DNC and RNC headquarters were set to go off about 1pm. Barrier assault at 12:55. Pipe bombs were not located to harm many people and too small to seriously damage buildings. Also cartoonishly obvious as bombs if found. Coordinated distraction?
17/ When police are force to retreat, the PB-lead mob surges up walkway and fields both. #bluebag opens up the path to the field on the right and many go that way. Back at A #riottrafficdirector waves mob foreward and opens a 2nd path to field on left.
18/ As police retreat, many people get into the act of fence removal to clear the way for more rioters to approach. #armswideguy from thread above, the camo guy, #nwscaffoldcommander, these other early intruders...
19/ In this it is hard to tell who is coordinated with PB leadership and who just opportunistically joins in. #whitehoodie talks to PB leaders before leading assault. Clear. But this guy bending a fence post or even #individual4? It will take police work to prove conspiracy.
20/ (Fin) From timing I do think some of the earliest barrier removers and crowd instigators must have been in coordination with PB. Anyone within 30 seconds of start removing barriers or urging crowd especially with flags and bullhorns is very suspect.
21/ (Postscript). Arrest for #whitehoodie identified as Ryan Samsel. courtlistener.com/recap/gov.usco… And some tags: #capitolriots #SeditionHunters
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