Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes in an interview w regional group leader in Dec 2020 says if Biden assumes power "We will have to do a bloody, massively bloody revolution against them. That's what's going to have to happen." (2)
The indictment says Rhodes "urged President Trump to use military force to stop the lawful transfer of presidential power, describing Jan 6 as 'a hard constitutional deadline'" (3)
On Dec 23 Rhodes says "tens of thousands of patriot Americans, both veterans and non-veterans, will already be in Washington, D.C., and many of us will have our mission-critical gear stowed nearby, stored just outside DC" (3)
He also says people may have to "take to arms" (4)
Then the indictment describes how codefendants circulated Rhodes's writings and remarks, which will be important to establishing conspiracy (5)
They arrange paramilitary training and set up an invite-only Signal chat (6)
On Dec 31 Rhodes writes in the chat "There is no standard political or legal way out of this" (7)
They discuss what weapons to bring and how to access them (8)
On Jan 2 they talk about coordinating with local militias to arrange to transport the weapons by boat into DC, across the Potomac, if the bridges close (8)
They plan what to wear and call January 6 "the Op" (9)
They call themselves the QRF, or Quick Reaction Force (10)
They conduct a reconnaissance mission and then on jan 6 arrive at the Capitol, where they breach the building in two groups. Rhodes says "All I see Trump doing is complaining...So the patriots are taking it into their own hands. They've had enough." (11)
They talk at length about comparisons to the American Revolution, including tarring-and-feathering politicians and--not on Jan 6 but at some future point--a battle of Lexington (THAT IS WAR, FOLKS) (12)
The indictment says they looked for, but did not find, Nancy Pelosi (13)
"Section E: Co-Conspirators Continue Plotting After the Jan 6 Attack on the Capitol": "You ain't seen nothing yet" "We got food for 30 days" "We aren't quitting!! We are reloading!!" (14)
Rhodes: "Patriots that entered the Capitol to send a message to the traitors is NOTHING compared to what's coming" (15)
The indictment then details purchase of weapons and ammo and describes efforts to organize other militia groups to oppose Biden's inauguration (16)
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The point here is that fascism is on full display, openly: no dog whistles, no plausible deniability. It's a show of power and an another attempt to make this look and feel normal.
And it will not just magically disappear after the election, regardless of the outcome.
In fact, it might be worth thinking through the very likely possibility that this kind of display suggests that this candidate and this movement don't care that much about the outcome.
Today, Rep Thomas Massie visited Waco and talked about it as his "wake-up call". Many responded that they had been awakened by Ruby Ridge. Thread on both: (1)
At Ruby Ridge (1992), what happened is this: a family with ties to the white power movement/Aryan Nations had encamped at a remote cabin in Idaho. Parents, kids, and an adopted teenager holed up. The father, Randy Weaver, was persuaded to modify a weapon by a federal informant (2
...and this modification made it a 1/4 inch too short (illegal). Entrapment? Yes. Was Weaver sent the wrong court date? Yes. But also he never planned to submit to the court. He and his wife Vicki (also an avowed antigovernment writer) prepared for siege (3).
There were panics about refugees eating rats in the 1980s. These were quickly followed by hate crimes against refugees, spearheaded by white power activists but employing local communities incited by that rhetoric. (1)
You can in fact trace such rhetoric about refugees and immigrants through the 20th c, with measurable violence every time. (2)
So let's not get confused: the debunked claims that refugees are eating cats aren't just nonsense. They are the beginning of a wave of violence. The people spreading this rhetoric either know exactly what they're doing, or they should know. But violence follows. Every time. (3)
Lots of news these days, so ICYMI: Three white power activists, two of whom are former Marines, sentenced for a plot to attack the power grid (1)nytimes.com/2024/07/28/us/…
This is a story that shows a long and continuous history of white power movement activity that runs all the way back to the 1970s, and has included infrastructure attacks like this one alongside mass-casualty attacks like OKC bombing in 1995 (2)
This movement brought together Klansmen, neo-Nazis, militamen, skinheads, radical tax resisters, followers of Christian Identity and more--a diverse movement in every way but race (3)
A thread of other things that have involved tents, assembly, and sound amplification at Northwestern and on Deering Meadow @thedailynu. Here is an action demanding the safe return of hostages taken by Hamas on Oct 7
Regarding the argument that a peaceful demonstration restricts campus access: a couple of weeks ago, an anti-gay, anti-feminist, antiabortion and ultraconservative group picketed Northwestern's campus. They had a very bad bagpipe player and a bunch of banners. (1)
Gay students, trans students, women students all had to walk past these dudes and their bagpipe to get to class. They were not removed, even though they were first, disrupting class and more with the stupid bagpipe and (2)
Holding signs that directly smeared and attacked members of protected groups. That is not a Title IX violation. That's part of free speech. (3)