# The Capitol Hill Riot Gallows **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [May 20, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563 "2021-05-20T16:29:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/1 "2021-05-20T16:29:30Z")
It’s pretty well known and was widely reported and [photographed](https://news.yahoo.com/democrats-owe-america-facts-nothing-225248331.html) at the time that some rioters set up a gallows with the ostensible intention of hanging “traitors”. But though I found that one of the more shocking aspects of the riot, I’ve seen little-to-no follow up detailed reporting about it. Have the builders been identified and arrested? What exactly is known about their intentions? How premeditated was it? And so on. I’ve seen a lot about all sorts of relatively minor cases of people being arrested and charged with lesser offenses, and it’s striking that nothing - to my knowledge - has come out about this. Or have I missed it? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/2 "2021-05-20T17:54:32Z")
This supposed up to date list of charges has no mention of the gallows. > **[At least 978 people have been charged in the Capitol insurrection so far....](https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1)** > > Thousands of pro-Trump supporters descended on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. More than two years later, 978 people have been charged with crimes. I expect it’s much easier to identify and legally prove the criminal intent of those entering the Capitol than those building the gallows outside. ---
**Author:** ![eschrodinger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschrodinger/32/122_2.png) [@eschrodinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschrodinger)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/3 "2021-05-20T18:06:35Z")
It would depend a lot on what they can turn up about the intent of the people who built the gallows, and it can be hard to get that kind of evidence of intent. Lots of times, you can infer intent from the circumstances, but that is not so likely here. With the gallows, there’s going to be an argument that it was set up merely as a symbol, and not with the intent to harm anyone. Hanging people in effigy, for example, is not that unusual of a protest action. So, you’d likely need more direct evidence of intent, like the people who built it – assuming you can identify them specifically – making express plans about actually using it to hang someone. Much harder to get that sort of evidence than to get evidence on the people who were breaking the law by being inside the building, or stealing things, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/4 "2021-05-21T00:43:15Z")
In no way defending those that built it. But, based upon the photo in the OP’s link, there’s no way it would support anybody weighing more than 85 pounds. It is crudely put together for appearance, not to be a functional gallows. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/5 "2021-05-21T00:51:31Z")
I don’t think it matters if their plan was actually workable. What matters is their actions and their intent. Speaking of intent, from [Insider](https://www.insider.com/all-the-us-capitol-pro-trump-riot-arrests-charges-names-2021-1), here’s a little bit about Pauline Bower: > Prosecutors said Bauer can be heard in body camera footage saying, “Bring them out. We want them out here… You bring them out or we’re coming in. BRing [sic] them out now. They’re criminals. They need to hang. Bring her out. Bring Nancy Pelosi out here now. We want to hang that f------ b----. Bring her out. We’re coming in if you don’t bring her out. What are you trying to protect a f------ Nazi. Is that what you’re protecting?” Looks a bit obvious what the intent was. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/6 "2021-05-21T01:01:41Z")
Unless it was Bauer that built the ineffective gallows, it would hard to link her comments to those that built it. A competent defense attorney would shoot enough holes in that argument, that the case would get thrown out before the arraignment. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/7 "2021-05-21T02:40:28Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > In no way defending those that built it. But, based upon the photo in the OP’s link, there’s no way it would support anybody weighing more than 85 pounds. It is crudely put together for appearance, not to be a functional gallows. I’ve seen pictures where it’s clear the gallows height (the height from the platform to the upper beam) was about 5 feet. In no way was this a working gallows. Not defending it, but it was clearly a model not a workable thing. EDIT: [![](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/01/07/USAT/247dbc80-2689-4c87-bc21-b31a1142185e-XXX_TH__DC_protests697.JPG) ](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2021/01/07/USAT/247dbc80-2689-4c87-bc21-b31a1142185e-XXX_TH__DC_protests697.JPG) ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/8 "2021-05-21T02:48:29Z")
What I said, what I got criticized for, was that Republicans are insects and bacteria. I am right. My critics were wrong. We must dehumanize our enemies. They are vile animals. The question that must be asked is, which organism is worthy: the rational human, or the rabid dog? ---
**Author:** ![Enjoy\_Slurm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enjoy_slurm/32/3937_2.png) [@Enjoy\_Slurm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enjoy_Slurm)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/9 "2021-05-21T02:52:43Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > We must dehumanize our enemies. They are vile animals. This is how Hitler did it. > **[Hitler’s 4-Step Process for Dehumanizing the Jews](https://bahaiteachings.org/hitlers-step-process-dehumanizing-jews/)** > > The Holocaust didn't occur suddenly or spontaneously—the Nazis underwent a conscious process to dehumanize the Jews. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/10 "2021-05-21T02:53:53Z")
They are insects. They are scum. They are bacteria. I hope all Republicans burn in hell. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/11 "2021-05-21T04:43:52Z")
No. Definitely no. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2021, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/12 "2021-05-21T17:05:12Z")
**Modnote** : Time to dial this back. Especially as you know we have registered Republicans on this board. This is not the pit. > [@asahi](#): > > What I said, what I got criticized for, was that Republicans are insects and bacteria. > > I am right. My critics were wrong. > > We must dehumanize our enemies. They are vile animals. > > The question that must be asked is, which organism is worthy: the rational human, or the rabid dog? This isn’t debate it is just ranting and vicious ranting at that. Actually I need to issue a warning for these posts and am doing so. ---
**Author:** ![Saintly\_Loser](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saintly_loser/32/4045_2.png) [@Saintly\_Loser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saintly_Loser)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2021, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/13 "2021-05-23T14:50:17Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Looks a bit obvious what the intent was. Yes. It’s true that that gallows was not built to be a functional gallows. So what? What’s also true is that if that mob had gotten hold of Nancy Pelosi, or Mike Pence (or, God help her, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez), they would have killed them. Does anyone seriously doubt that? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2021, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-capitol-hill-riot-gallows/942563/14 "2021-05-23T22:18:09Z")
Once you get the noose around somebody’s neck & kick their legs out from under them they’re going to strangle. It’ll be slow and noisy and gruesome, but it’ll definitely be fatal unless the good guys intervene pretty quickly.