In a recent article in The New York Times, investigative reporters Jennifer Valentino-DeVries, Denise Lu, Eleanor Lutz and Alex Leeds Matthews deep into into ‘a small organized groups of people’ which had a outsize role in the Jan 6 Capitol riot.
As federal prosecutors unveil charges in the assault on the Capitol last month, they have repeatedly highlighted two militant groups — the Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys — as being the most organized, accusing them of planning their strategy ahead of time and in some cases helping escalate a rally into an attack.
The two organizations stand in contrast to a majority of the mob. Of the more than 230 people charged so far, only 31 are known to have ties to a militant extremist group. And at least 26 of those are affiliated with the Oath Keepers or the Proud Boys.
Dr Cynthia Miller-Idriss, the director of the Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University told the Times “Although militants were a small part of the mob, their organizational tactics could have influenced others’ behavior and made the riot more violent. Some extremist far-right groups, particularly in Europe, have recently used larger protests as cover for more violent activities.”
Direct Link to the Times’ article: A Small Group of Militants’ Outsize Role in the Capitol Attack