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FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

wsj.com

71–80 of 136 posts

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#71

Theres a video of the police letting the protesters into the capitol. They opened the door and are standing to the side EDIT: I urge people to go watch the video. My opinion is that many walking in thought it was a protest and was just something the group was doing.

I thought it was odd how it seemed like the majority of the people were walking as if they were going on a tour of the capitol and not like they were a violent mob. It'll be interesting to see what more comes out of the wtf bad capitol security.

This was also my reaction. I think many viewed it that way, like it was an expected part of them being there

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#72

How convenient. They didn't do their jobs. The DC police didn't do their job. A possible pivotal moment and...nothing? But this is simply coincidence? Some of the "best & brightest" all simultaneously go brain dead? I'm no fan of Trump. But as such facts continue to align my distate for him is overshadowed by my fear of nefarious actors and other suspect agendas.

I don’t think it was the DC police. That area is the responsibility of the Capitol police which is a different organization.

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#73

> Over the past 12 months, the Anti-Defamation League sent 1,000 tips to law enforcement based on tracking of social-media comments made by U.S. extremists groups leading up to Wednesday’s riot, and noted the increasing ratcheting up of violent rhetoric. The FBI didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/biden-trump-electoral-colle...

Tangential question: what does “immediately respond” mean? “We asked and didn’t get an answer in 5 minutes”? I’ve seen this on many news sites and it’s never clear what timeframe “immediately” refers to.

I guess it's like any timing side-channel.

Saying no takes a few minutes, thinking about and saying no takes longer, putting it through a lawyer takes a lot longer than that

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#74
post #48
post #6

Let’s be blunt... because white people. This is the same thing that happened in Charlottesville and the after action review of Charlottesville made that clear. No one listened. The need here isn’t more police or more training or more gear. Any of those things would just be used to harm people of color and low income communities. What needs to happen is people stop being taken in by bad faith arguments about “free spe…

Odd, because the Mayor of DC (Black Female) very clearly refused help from the feds. "Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told federal law enforcement to stand down just one day before a mob of Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, smashing windows, entering the chambers, and forcing lawmakers and congressional staff inside into lockdown. “To be clear, the District of Columbia is not requesting ot…

Depends on which news agencies you believe!

The below articles report that the mayor was concerned and requested federal assistance. The Capitol Police however, refused help that was offered[0][1][2].

In the end two members of Capitol Police leadership resigned[3]. Their reasons for turning down assistance should be investigated.

EDIT: Found an NPR article exploring this[4].

> Bowser's approach to security was clearly influenced by events last summer when demonstrators took to the streets near the White House to protest the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other police abuses.

[0]https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9111913/DC-Mayor-Mu...

[1]https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/la...

[2]https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/07/capitol-poli...

[3]https://www.npr.org/sections/congress-electoral-college-tall...

[4]https://www.npr.org/sections/congress-electoral-college-tall...

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#75
post #35
post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which at that point was probably the correct decision. What’s the other option? Get overwhelmed by the crowd or attacked from behind?

Gas, less-lethal bullets, flashbangs. The stuff I've been seeing a few blocks away for most of the summer. All of those things are really good at dispersing crowds.

That's the most upsetting thing about this situation, in my opinion. Police in DC haven't had issues deploying such tactics in the past. Why was this different?

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#76

A police officer friend with 20 years of crowd control experience told me that the preparations looked criminally negligent. I believe that this was done on purpose with full knowledge that these events were likely to occur. If crowd control and security are your job, there are only two explanations: you are horrible at your job, or, you did this on purpose with bad intentions.

I also understood this as an instance of the security state threatening Congress. The police were saying, "Don't even think about de-funding or reforming us." DC police spend $210k/employee. 80% of its 2500 employees are "sworn officers," whatever the heck that means.

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#77

The article is a little light on details, but I can’t help wondering why, especially given the massive amounts of resources and funding going into surveillance and intelligence gathering post 9/11.

After OKC bombing, the Eye of Sauron turned to the militias as the world witnessed what happens when they are left unchecked. Then, 9/11 happened, and the Eye of Sauron turned away from domestic terrorism. Unfortunately, Sauron can only look in one place at a time, and is apparently unable to scan and must stare at one thing at a time.

Funny, because I saw a lot of white people among Antifa and BLM violently protesting this summer. But that pretty much went unchecked for months. A few blocks of Seattle were even left to these protesters.

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#78
post #6

Let’s be blunt... because white people. This is the same thing that happened in Charlottesville and the after action review of Charlottesville made that clear. No one listened. The need here isn’t more police or more training or more gear. Any of those things would just be used to harm people of color and low income communities. What needs to happen is people stop being taken in by bad faith arguments about “free spe…

> Let’s be blunt... because white people.

No need to make such generalizations.

The overwhelming majority of economic damages done in 2020 were by BLM/ANTIFA/ACAB crowd. Many of us supported them initially but when they started attacking minorities in particular Asian Americans and their businesses thats when I stopped.

You are destroying your own country by being tricked into hating it by interest groups that isn't aligned with yours.

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#79
post #6

Let’s be blunt... because white people. This is the same thing that happened in Charlottesville and the after action review of Charlottesville made that clear. No one listened. The need here isn’t more police or more training or more gear. Any of those things would just be used to harm people of color and low income communities. What needs to happen is people stop being taken in by bad faith arguments about “free spe…

Here is an alternative theory that does not depending on the color of people skins.

The reason they did not do a risk assessment for every trump gathering is because there has been a lot of trump gatherings and it was the Jan. 6 pro-Trump protests that devolved into violence.

Don't attribute racism what could just as easily be attributed to complacency.

Re: FBI, Homeland Security Int. Didn’t Issue Risk Assessment for ProTrump Protests

#80
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that's why it's called security theater

Yup! We've wasted trillions and eroded civil libertries for basically no upside . Please, let it sink in.

Exactly. Meanwhile, the militias in Michigan who view Terry Nichols as a martyr, continue weekend training in the national forests of Michigan.
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