Recently acquired footage reveals the actions of a suspected group that had erected gallows on January 6th, just hours prior to the siege of the Capitol.
The people who erected the infamous gallows and noose on the west front of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021
According to recently released videos obtained by CBS News, the individuals responsible for the crime started working early in the morning that day. A Congressional report led by the Republican party stated that the culprits have not yet been prosecuted.
Surveillance footage shared with CBS News shows the brazenness of the work behind the gallows and noose, which have a history of racist and threatening overtones. On Jan. 6, then-Vice President Mike Pence was
Conducting the combined meeting of the legislative branch of the government. to certify the Electoral College count and had been
Feeling the weight of former President Donald Trump’s influence. to unilaterally overturn the 2020 election. He refused to do so, while outside the Capitol, protesters and rioters around the gallows and noose chanted, “Hang Mike Pence.”
The footage shows a group of individuals publicly pushing objects down main roads in the early hours of the day preceding the attack on the Capitol.
“Il rapporto di @MacFarlaneNews mostra:
The report from @MacFarlaneNews states: pic.twitter.com/441LyzQSEq
— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 18, 2024
Following the confrontation and assault by the mob, they pushed past the police lines, leaving the gallows unguarded. Michael Persson, a journalist who was reporting on the Capitol attack, observed that the orange noose had been removed and discarded on the ground.
Persson reported seeing a youth of African descent scale the gallows and remove the rope used for hanging. He suspects the youth was a kind person who was angered by the public exhibition.
According to CBS News, Persson reported that the kind stranger discarded the noose and quickly left the scene without being noticed. The majority of the crowd had already dispersed, with only a few small groups remaining on the field. Persson was impressed by the individual’s bravery in taking this action.
In 2021, Persson retrieved the rope and handed it over to the FBI, who later confirmed possession of the rope.
Persson stated that the gallows symbolized the fate of that day.
A representative from the Department of Justice addressed a request by CBS News regarding the progress of an inquiry into the construction of the gallows on restricted property. The representative stated that the investigation into the events of January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol is still ongoing, and as such, they are unable to provide any information beyond what is publicly available.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, D.C., responsible for pursuing charges against those involved in the January 6th event, has also chosen not to provide a statement.
The gallows construction
The Subcommittee investigating the gallows event stated in a report from February that Capitol Police regulations forbid any type of temporary constructions on Capitol grounds, indicating that the gallows should be taken down as soon as they are found. However, the gallows remained untouched by Capitol Police officers from 6:00 a.m. on January 6 until later that evening.
The subcommittee’s investigation also acknowledged that the crossbeam and noose were not attached to the wooden stand until 1 p.m., the exact time when the unruly crowd started assaulting cops and moving past the designated police boundary.
Near the gallows, on the west side of the Capitol, construction was underway for the inaugural platform where President-elect Joe Biden would deliver his speech in two weeks.
Representative Barry Loudermilk, a member of the Republican party from Georgia and current chair of the House subcommittee, informed CBS News that the positioning of the gallows’ crossbar at 1 PM was in violation of Capitol Police regulations, as the base platform had been present for an extended period of time prior to that.
Loudermilk stated that after reviewing the radio communications of the Capitol Police on that day, there was no mention of it.
The members of the Democratic party on the subcommittee stated that the gallows would not have been constructed if Trump had not gathered and sent a group of armed individuals to storm the Capitol, disrupt the tally of electoral votes, and attempt to overturn the outcome of a democratic election that he did not win.
“The Capitol Police spokesperson, speaking to CBS News, expressed gratitude for the Committee’s recognition of the potential of this information to aid law enforcement in identifying those responsible. The spokesperson also acknowledged the bravery of Capitol Police officers, noting that the gallows were thankfully not utilized during the attack.”
The committee’s investigation into the incident at the gallows contained a detailed schedule of events involving the individuals believed to be responsible for constructing the gallows on the morning of January 6th. According to the report, “At this point, the leader of the group and another member departed from the group and traveled north on 3rd Street. They returned shortly afterwards carrying coffee, and the entire group left the area. Despite the leader’s unique attire – a long trench coat, white scarf, fedora-style hat, and cane – their identity has not been publicly revealed.”
The report from the subcommittee further stated that at around 1:00 p.m., the group of five individuals came back to the location. The apparent leader, now sporting a baseball cap, put up the last crossbeam and attached the noose using a brightly colored orange rope. Once the construction was finished, all five individuals departed from the area.
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Source: cbsnews.com