Capitol police set up a minimal visible presence, purportedly to prevent antagonizing the crowd. Whatever the merits of that approach (and contrasts w/ the summer), it failed. And this stunt will be repeated unless every person who broke into the Capitol goes to Federal prison.
The whole world watched how easily this ragtag band of thugs broke into the Capitol during one of its most sensitive proceedings. These thugs openly planned this assault over weeks. There was no mystery that they would "storm" the Capitol.
What they would do next is unknown, but the weapons they brought with them mean they should be treated as insurrectionists. And if there are no grave consequences for them now, this will happen again and again. It is for this reason that ALL of them must go to Federal prison.
The Justice Department must fully prosecute and seek a maximum prison sentence for every single person who breached the Capitol. And everybody who promoted this insurrection online should be prosecuted too - it was "effective speech" causing "imminent unlawful action."
There must be an investigation of Capitol police and Capitol security generally. There should have been a much more powerful "second line" ready to defend once the fence was breached. There is no excuse for failing to plan for that.
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