Re:Opposition to net neutrality was faked, New York says
by marcusverus on Friday May 07, 2021 @08:59AM
(#27075366)
I think we're largely in agreement. My intent wasn't to argue that the riot wasn't violent, it was to argue that it was a) not as bad as it was made out to be, and b) clearly not a coup attempt. The GP has been flagged and the parent comment heavily edited, so the original context is lost.
There are plenty of weapons out there that aren't firearms. You can be armed and not carrying a gun. While I'd agree that many of the injuries are consistent with a large crowd there are also documented cases of people in the crowd using weapons like tasers, pepper spray, and a flag pole. There are lots of pictures of zip tie cuffs being carried in the capital buildings. How often do you hear about people going to a peaceful protest expecting to capture prisoners? You need a license to carry a firearm in DC. It shouldn't be surprising that in a protest made up of people from outside DC you wouldn't have many people who have the right license. Flying with a gun is also a PITA so that's another reason some people who travelled to the protest may not have brought their guns with them.
Finally, there was at least one group that set up a cache of guns offsite so that they could ferry them in if needed [0].
[0] https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/zoetillman/capitol-riot...