Identifying them to the authorities, or not, depends on a couple of factors.
First, is there any other way they can be positively named, or will they go unidentified without the contact described in the OP? And second, do they have a meaningful amount of money that can be extorted from them based on this leverage?
It does seem a but much for those that were just expecting to be attending a protest and didn’t participate in the national socialist BS.
Seems ironic, doesn’t it?
Meh, if I were in a protest with a few thousand people and several hundred of them peeled off to bust into a federal building with violence and threats of violence, I would certainly expect the cops to wish to have a few words with me about the event and my fellow marchers, even if they didn’t think I seemed indictable. How do you know in advance who was “just expecting to be attending a protest” and who was down for some terrorist violence?
Also, the more we learn about this little gathering, the more apparent it becomes that there was a lot of advance online chatter about plans for violence and other criminal activity. It seems pretty likely that at least most of the people in the march were aware that the crowd was down for, at the very least, illegal entry of a federal building.
No peaceful demonstrator in their senses goes along with a march where there are known plans for marchers to be starting some illegal shit. If you can’t shut down your unruly element, you abandon them.
Not really, especially since the Republicans have shown what hypocrites they are about it.
No, having to answer a few questions seems about right, actually.
I’ve been part of proscribed (but peaceful) demonstrations against an actual fascist oppressive illegitimate regime. Just having to answer a few questions would have been a luxury we would in no way have expected.
Yes.
Easiest OP to answer in a long time.
The only hesitation is I would need to be 100% sure. I wouldn’t want to waste law enforcement’s time with a look-alike.
It’s tangential, but in the interest of fighting ignorance this varies by state. In some states, certain people are mandated to report certain crimes such as teachers or physicians being mandated reporters of suspected child abuse.
In Texas, you can be charged with a misdemeanor for failing to report an offense that resulted in serious bodily injury or death. In Ohio it’s illegal to knowingly fail to report a felony.
However, in most states, generally speaking, most people are under no legal obligation to report a crime , whether they knew about it in advance, witnessed its commission, or found out about it after the fact.
Saw this somewhere (don’t remember where):
I used to think the biggest difference between Republicans and me was that I wanted everyone to have health care. Now, it’s that I don’t think Donald Trump should be allowed to murder Mike Pence.
If the person I recognized was a friend, I’d want to reach out and have a conversation with them about their participation and to urge them to “turn themselves in” either as a participant or as a witness. If they did that, there would be no need for me to contact the FBI.
If not, I’d turn them in.
If it was an acquaintance or a co-worker I just new in passing, I’d just turn them in.
If they’re peacefully demonstrating, no. If they’re engaged in insurrection (in this case, anyone who breached the barrier, or entered the building), yes. The proviso to my “yes” is that if I recognized them because they were or had been a student or patient, I would need legal and ethical consultation about limitations, if any, to their FERPA or HIPAA privacy rights under the specific circumstances.
I’m sure that many of the demonstrators who didn’t breach the capitol can help identify those who did, if they chose to. They might fall down over themselves to cooperate in the investigation (for one reason or another) if the FBI came knocking. If I saw someone I recognized in one of those pics, even if they weren’t shown breaking the law, I’d definitely help with the ID.
Another thought just occurred to me while I was typing this post. It’s possible that the best pic available showing someone’s face was at the rally or during the march rather than later during the insurrection, so that’s what’s being shown, but law enforcement might have more pictures/video of someone wearing matching clothing doing bad things.
Not sure if it was already posted here, but are there any links to photos where I may be able to see people to identify them? Because, hell yes I would if they were in the Capital.
Better photos here: https://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/POIs%20of%20Interest_1.11.21.pdf
One of these things is not like the others.
Most of the photos show people who are clearly of the mindset that they aren’t doing anything wrong. One of the photos the guy is masked up and in very plain clothing. That dude did something real bad, and he knows it.
If the fat guy in the sheriff’s outfit is an actual sheriff, I would have thought the FBI would be onto him pretty quickly.
I would absolutely report them. There’s no ambiguity about why they were where they were, doing what they were doing.
It’s a moot point, because no-one will be convicted if they elect a jury trial. At least one Trumpite will be on every jury, to nullify a conviction.
Caveat – in DC, you might find a jury pool with no Trumpites
Caveat 2 – The law/order Republicans themselves created the system where nobody goes to trial – it’s all done by plea-bargain vs. long-sentence threats…
“I’m not here to do the lynching, I’m just here for the picnic to celebrate and support the lynching!”
Shouldn’t have flown then, sure as fuck shouldn’t fly now.
And that would be my thought as well. Fifty plus years ago, there were countless anti Vietnam war protesters arrested who had done nothing more than engage in peaceful protests just because other clowns got carried away.