What motivated #SeditionHunters? For many, a sense that democracy itself was & is under attack. The Joint Chiefs' letter of Jan 11 suggested the chain of command was fraying. A new book validates this sense - Gen. Milley feared a 'Reichstag moment' 1/ washingtonpost.com/politics/joint…
Many of us asked ourselves - what if we were Germans in 1933, watching events unfold? When do you know that it's time to drop everything, put your life on hold and go to work? Turns out Milley made the same analogy... 2/
There've been over 4 news articles about the #SeditionHunters community; all use words like "motley", "amateurs", "sleuths" playing detective. But whenever the U.S. was attacked, citizens have stepped up, always, to do their part. In uniforms they don't look so "motley"... 3/
So we don't have uniforms, or guns. Doug Mastriano called the #SeditionHunters "keyboard warriors" after they caught him on video strolling through the insurrection. That's an honorable term! Plenty of "keyboard warriors" have contributed in the past too. 4/
Gen. Milley is a smart guy; the Reichstag analogy is telling. In 1933, Nazis had only 1/3 of the vote, but had infiltrated police. Hitler claimed "Communists" were a danger, attacked his own Capitol, & used the chaos as an excuse to invoke martial law & seize absolute power. 5/
Was Jan 6th a Reichstag moment in the U.S.? Are more attempts coming? The Joint Chiefs' Jan 11 letter means they didn't think the danger was over. We can wait and find out the hard way - or we can investigate and prosecute fully, all the way to the top. 6/ 16af.af.mil/News/Article/2…
Trump has now weighed in: "if I was going to do a coup, one of the last people I would want to do it with is General Mark Milley".
Hopefully people will now understand how serious Jan 6 was - & continues to be, as other players take over the playbook 7/ mediaite.com/trump/if-i-was…
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#SeditionHunters - a big arrest today! #BulgePB, who hung with the Proud Boys elite on Jan 6, is Nathaniel Tuck, a former cop from Florida, IDd by the great @ne0ndistraction. He's at R here, escorting #FashProShop to the E. side of the Capitol to meet up with Joe Biggs. 1/
#BulgePB was arrested along with his dad, also a Florida police officer, or was one til he resigned today. Weirdly for a cop, apparently texted his family “We stormed the Capitol, fought the police.” See ne0n's thread for more.. 2/ orlandosentinel.com/news/crime/os-…
Interestingly the wives of both #BulgePB and #FashProShop aka Arthur Jackman are ALSO police officers in Florida. Sarah Jackman just cleared for duty, says she thought Proud Boys were a nice group where "men spend time together & attend Bible studies.” 3/ clickorlando.com/news/local/202…
#SeditionHunters - the FBI prosecution of assault on media has reached one of the nastiest: Alan Byerly of PA aka #GreyBeanieMeanie, who viciously attacked AP photographer John Minchillo. He's the one in the grey beanie...PA journalists, do your thing! 1/ justice.gov/usao-dc/case-m…
His PA affiliation wasn't hard to find; his beanie says "Kutztown". The attack was shocking for his visible rage, also Minchillo was pushed over a wall & could have been seriously hurt. (Btw don't credit those who helped Minchillo; they may be org. folks trying to de-escalate) 2/
The video crucial to Byerly's arrest was shot by his AP colleague Julio Cortez (julythephotoguy) from helmet-mounted cam. So reporting itself defends reporters! As in the #MediaSmash, the mob called any journalist "CNN".. 3/
#SeditionHunters - newly unsealed court docs for unhashtagged perp Fi Duong, VA extremist. Interestingly reveal that DC police were well aware of Jan 6 threats - they had undercover operatives out that morning chatting with suspicious-looking people. 1/ s3.documentcloud.org/documents/2098…
The friendly DC MPD undercover operative got Duong's name and contact information, apparently then went to the Capitol and chatted with him again there. And then passed his name to the FBI.... 2/
By Jan 13 an FBI undercover agent ("UCE") had infiltrated Duong's extremist friend-group (not quite an organized militia), which mixed "Bible study" with firearms training and making homemade bombs. 3/
#SeditionHunters - let’s revisit the 1st Amendment Praetorian “security force”, now working July 4th rallies! We called this guy #ShadowFlynn because he’s always at Michael Flynn’s side; his 1AP nickname may be “Yoda”. Below is Dec. 12. On Jan 6, he was at the Capitol alone... 1/
...roaming widely & seeming to coordinate action. Will show 3 sightings that are pretty suspicious. First: around 1:15 PM on the East Plaza, #ShadowFlynn texts intently while the crowd talks about Congressional action: “Arizona is up for play!” (AZ challenge was at 1:12) 2/
#ShadowFlynn's sighting at 1:15 PM is also right as fighting stalled on the West Plaza. As #ShadowFlynn passes by, the inciter #CountResisto shouts on his bullhorn: “reinforcements around back!... They need some support around back!” For full context: 3/
#SeditionHunters - more sync'd Jan 6 video, 29 crucial minutes when police retook the Capitol building. Watch DC police, with FBI SWAT backup, flood into the Rotunda & push invaders out. Featuring Proud Boys, Oathkeepers, many hashtagged perps... 1/
All is calm at first, with Proud Boys (L) and Oathkeepers (R) casually standing around. #Rufio's group is still looking pretty composed around 3:02 PM... 2/
But police have been gathering: by 3 PM, FBI SWAT are waiting at one door while a group of MPD are pushing rioters through another. (That's Stephen Horn up there filming.) Watch at 1:23-1:24 in video as police practically throw #StringyPlaid & #UncagedBird into the Rotunda. 3/
#SeditionHunters - in ancient Rome, the elite Praetorian Guard kept overthrowing the emperors they were assigned to protect. In DC this January, seems the “1st Amendment Praetorians” had similar ambitions - intrigue is timeless. Here’s a 1st thread on 1AP & the Willard Hotel 1/
#SeditionHunters have been tracking 1AP since Jan; the 1/5 Freedom Plaza rally permit says: “...1st Amendment Praetorian Group will provide...security.” Founded 2020 by messianic Green Beret Robert Patrick Lewis who now hangs with the VIPs. They recruit from former military... 2/
...& now also police & intelligence officers. RPL is now on the speaker circuit. On Dec 12: ntd.com/former-green-b…
On Jan 5 in DC, warned that U.S. kids may "grow up in a communist hellhole" "This is our chance...take back the country." Listen to it. 3/