Paul Gosar Claims All The People Arrested For January 6 Crimes Are Nonviolent ‘Political Prisoners’
Once again, Gosar went further than any of his colleagues.
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On Tuesday afternoon while a bipartisan House select committee was hearing from police officers who described the brutal violence they endured protecting the Capitol on January 6, a group of six far right Republican House members decided to stand up for the people who stormed the building. That group held a press conference outside the Justice Department where they expressed concerns the people who have been arrested in conjunction with the attack are being mistreated. Naturally, Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), who has been one of the foremost defenders of the Capitol rioters, was one of the six members who came to their defense. And, once again, Gosar went further than any of his colleagues in trying to minimize the severity of the attack and side with the people who stormed the building.
“These are not unruly or dangerous violent criminals. These are political prisoners who are now being persecuted and bearing the pain of unjust suffering,” Gosar said. “Individuals arrested for illegal acts on January 6th deserve to be treated fairly.”
Even the other five Republicans who were there to question the prosecutions of those involved in the attack generally acknowledged there was some violence and wrongdoing. Biggs, who has echoed conspiracy theories suggesting the government was responsible for January 6, conceded some people committed “technical crimes” and a “very small group … attacked the Capitol Police and vandalized the Capitol.” The whole group, which also included Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), and Rep. Bob Good (R-VA) voted against the certification of President Trump’s election loss, which the Capitol attackers tried to stop. Still, even in this group of ideologues, only Gosar suggested the rioters were simply non-violent “political prisoners.”
Of course, along with witness testimony like what was presented in Tuesday’s hearing, there is extensive video and photo evidence showing the January 6 rioters brawling with police. In yesterday’s hearing, the four law enforcement officers who testified described “medieval” violence and attackers armed with weapons including guns, chemical sprays, knives, and metal bars.
The Uprising reached out to Gosar’s office and asked how he could possibly believe none of the rioters were violent in light of the evidence. As of this writing, they have not responded.
Ali Alexander, a conservative activist who organized the “Wild Protest,” which was one of the main pro-Trump rallies planned at the Capitol on January 6, has claimed Gosar and Biggs helped him plan that event. Both Gosar and Greene were advertised speakers at the rally.
The group’s press conference was almost immediately disrupted by left wing counter protesters who blew whistles and carried signs that called the group “traitors” and referenced Gaetz’s ongoing sex scandal. Greene concluded the event by telling “anyone that’s here being an activist and yelling today” that she and her colleagues would not be “deterred.” As she was speaking, the counter protesters surged forward and a staffer shut the event down.
“We need to go … the left is interrupting the press conference,” the staffer said. “We need to end it.”
Watch a video of the chaotic end to that press conference here.
SHOTS FIRED: At least one rioter allegedly fired a shot on January 6 — but they were in Kentucky rather than at the Capitol in D.C.
This week, a federal judge sentenced a Louisville man named John Subleski to time served (five months) and three years of supervised release for violating the Riot Act. According to court records, Subleski is a member of a “boogaloo” militia group called the United Pharaoh Guard. He and other members of the group set up blockades in Downtown Louisville as the Capitol was stormed in D.C. At one of these locations, Subleski and his group blocked a bridge over the Ohio River. The Louisville Courier-Journal reported that “when an SVU sped through the intersection, Subleski fired his rifle at it then quickly left and spoke to his lawyer, court records show.”
Subleski’s lawyer said he was released from federal custody on Monday. Court documents also contain copies of social media messages Subleski posted on January 6.
“The only thing that has ever beaten tyranny was a sword or a rifle,” he wrote. “DASSSSS IT. NOTHING ELSE! GETCHO RIFLE AND LET IT BANG AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.”
I am going to continue my policy of not posting a “fun fact” in newsletters that are focused on January 6, so that’s all for today! Your humble Uprising correspondent will be talking about the attack with Alex Keeney on the new Erupt streaming network tonight at 8 PM ET. Tune in!
It’s going to be a long weekend here at Uprising world headquarters, but I will see you Monday barring any big breaking news. If you haven’t already, please subscribe to The Uprising and tell your friends! And if you work in politics, please don’t forget to leave a (news) tip on your way out → hunter.walker@protonmail.com
There's an old Elvis Costello lyric that says "I used to be disgusted/Now I'm just amused", but I'm going back to being disgusted. Claims like Gosar's not only say plenty about himself, but what he thinks of his target audience.