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Protestors on the steps of the Capitol on 6 January 2021 Alamy Stock Photo

Washington DC sues extremist groups over 6 January attack on US Capitol

That 6 January attack saw hundreds of Trump supporters storm the seat of the US legislature.

THE WASHINGTON DC city government has filed suit against two right-wing extremist groups for their role in the violent 6 January attack on the US Capitol by supporters of president Donald Trump.

The lawsuit accuses the Proud Boys, Oath Keepers and more than 30 individuals associated with the groups of “conspiring to terrorise the District of Columbia,” the official name of the US capital, said city Attorney General Karl Racine.

The suit taps into a 19th century law – used originally to take on the violent racist Ku Klux Klan – which focuses on conspiracy to deprive others of their constitutional rights.

The law was “designed to protect our country against violent conspiracies, protect our citizens against violent conspiracies, like the attack that took place on 6 January,” said Racine.

“We specifically allege that these vigilantes, insurrectionists, and masters of a lawless mob, conspired against the District of Columbia, its law enforcement officers, and residents by planning, promoting and participating in the violent attack on the United States Capitol,” he said.

That 6 January attack saw hundreds of Trump supporters storm the seat of the US legislature, assaulting police and forcing a halt to the joint House-Senate session meant to confirm that Democrat Joe Biden had won the November 2020 election and would become president.

Congressional investigators are now trying to determine whether Trump and the White House may have fomented the Capitol assault.

The suit filed by Washington says the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers worked together to plan and finance the attack “motivated by a desire to overturn the legal results of the election and initiate a second term of Donald Trump’s presidency”.

“The result of that planning, the January 6th Attack on the Capitol, was not a protest or a rally. It was a coordinated act of domestic terrorism,” the suit says.

31 alleged members of the group were singled out by the suit, including several leaders.

Most of them already face federal charges related to conspiracy, obstruction and assault for 6 January.

In February, Trump, his private attorney Rudy Giuliani and the same two extremist groups were sued by senior Democratic Congressman Bennie Thompson and the NAACP rights group for the 6 January violence using the same anti-Ku Klux Klan law.

© – AFP, 2021

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    Mute Martin O Connell
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:38 PM

    Wowww so does that mean the cities that were destroyed by BLM supporters can do the same.

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    Mute bmul
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:38 PM

    @Martin O Connell: which cities where DESTROYED

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    Mute Gordon Larney
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:41 PM

    @Martin O Connell: Jesus Martin, it wasn’t like they released Godzilla on the nation…..

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    Mute Martin O Connell
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:12 PM

    @bmul: Florida, Baltimore, San Fran, lots angeles to name a few. They suffered 100s of millions of damage compared to Washington and the Capital “riots”

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    Mute Martin O Connell
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:16 PM

    @Gordon Larney: arson, vandalism, and looting between May 26 and June 8 were tabulated to have caused $1–2 billion in insured damages nationally—the highest recorded damage from civil disorder in U.S. history, surpassing the record set during the 1992 Los Angeles riots

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    Mute Ixtrix Net
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    Dec 15th 2021, 9:44 AM

    @Martin O Connell:
    If they had the social media accounts tied to the leaders of BLM and the posts planning the violence, they probably could.

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:23 PM

    Trumpers be all about that constitution crying about tryanny til it doesn’t go their way, then they are all about actual real tyranny trying to overthrow the results of a democratic election.

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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:50 PM

    @Seán Ó Briain: Oath Keepers was founded in March 2009

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    Mute Tom Molloy
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:31 PM

    Why did the staff of the building usher the crowd of crazies in ? These were not average politically interested protesters as photos showed.

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    Mute David F. Dwyer
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    Dec 14th 2021, 8:11 PM

    @Tom Molloy: Probably to avoid getting their heads kicked in by the mob.

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Dec 15th 2021, 6:28 AM

    @Tom Molloy: I’m sure the police officer caught in the doors by the “mob” and beaten around the head was well underway to “ushering” the mob insider, as was the police officer that shot a protestor. Sure nothing says “come on in” like a bullet in the chest!

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    Mute Colm O'Leary
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    Dec 15th 2021, 6:30 AM

    @Tom Molloy: @Tom Molloy: I’m sure the police officer caught in the doors by the “mob” and beaten around the head was well underway to “ushering” the mob insider, as was the police officer that shot a protestor. Sure nothing says “come on in” like a bullet in the chest!

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    Mute Raymond Barry
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:31 PM

    Just another press release from the Democrats eagerly lapped up by the fawning MSM.

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    Mute DJ François
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    Dec 15th 2021, 6:18 AM

    @Raymond Barry: salty

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    Mute Nigel Comerford
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    Dec 14th 2021, 7:51 PM

    Proud boys. Wasn’t that a Wham album?

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    Mute Genera L Consensus
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    Dec 14th 2021, 11:45 PM

    Old Trumpy will surely foot the bill with the $ he scammed from his made up media company

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    Mute andrew
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    Dec 14th 2021, 10:48 PM

    This has almost been a year and they still are dealing with the aftermath.

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    Mute Ixtrix Net
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    Dec 15th 2021, 7:58 AM

    @andrew:
    Trump was on Laura Ingraham’s Fox show in last few days, still claiming the election was stolen, and saying that the insurrection happened on November 3rd, and that January 6th was just a protest. Does not bode well. A glimpse of what will occur every time now has happened with the Gavin Newsome recall/reelect where before the vote, he and other Republicans kept saying that election was rigged / fraudulent if they don’t win. That’s basically there new playbook instead of running on policy.

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    Mute Ixtrix Net
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    Dec 15th 2021, 7:59 AM

    @Ixtrix Net:
    Their*

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