Deciphering the extremist symbols and groups during the Capitol Hill uprising

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The photos tell part of the story of the beliefs of some who chose to appear on that day – from passionate and peaceful Trump supporters to extremists who showed their hatred with their symbols and their actions.

The mixing of the groups has long been an issue that has long worried experts who track down extremism and hatred.

The election result certification turned out to be just the kind of event that brought different groups together and could have led to the exchange of radical ideas, they say. The first event, heavily promoted and encouraged by President Trump, gave all these groups something to gather around.

“This was an event intended to counter the results of free and fair democratic elections and the transfer of power that would naturally follow,” said Mark Pitcavage, a historian and expert in extremism with the Anti-Defamation League.

CNN spoke to him to identify the symbols and understand the chilling messages of tyranny, white supremacy, anarchy, racism, anti-Semitism and hatred they portray.

Noose and gallows

While a noose in itself is often used as a form of racial harassment, Pitcavage says in this context he believes the gallows would suggest punishment for treason. “It suggests that representatives and senators who vote to confirm the election results, and possibly Vice President Pence, are betraying and should be tried and hanged,” he explains.

That rhetoric about betrayal could be seen on right-wing notice boards in the days leading up to the event.

Three percent flag

The Three Percenters (aka III% ers, 3% ers, or Threepers) are part of the militia movement in the United States and are anti-government extremists, according to the ADL.

Like others in the militia movement, Three Percenters consider themselves defenders of the American people against government tyranny.

“With many supporters of the militia movement strongly supporting President Trump, Three Percenters have not been as active in the recent years in opposing the federal government, directing their anger at other alleged enemies, including leftists / antifa, Muslims and immigrants”, according to the ADL.

The group’s name comes from a false claim that only three percent of the people in the colonies armed and fought against the British during the Revolutionary War.

The flag above is their logo on the traditional Betsy Ross flag. Pitcavage says that right-wing groups (mainstream or extreme), who consider themselves patriotic, sometimes co-opt America’s first flag.

Release the Kraken flag

The flag refers to former Trump attorney Sidney Powell’s comments that she would “ release the Kraken. ” Powell falsely said she had evidence that would destroy the idea that Joe Biden would win the presidency.

The “Kraken”, a giant marine animal from Scandinavian folklore, has become a meme in circles that believe the election has been stolen. The Kraken, they say, is a storehouse of evidence of widespread fraud. On social media, QAnon conspiracies and edge sites #ReleaseTheKraken have been widely shared, along with false theories of fraud.

The Proud Boys and the OK sign

The far right has co-opted the OK sign as a drag gesture and, for some, as a symbol of white power. The ADL added that symbol to its long-standing database of slogans and symbols used by extremists.

“They wear orange caps to identify each other; in previous gatherings they wore identifying shirts and other gear, but they dropped them for this event after their leader was recently arrested,” explains Pitcavage.

The Proud Boys has backed President Trump and attended “Stop The Steal” rallies in Washington, DC. The leader of the Proud Boys, Henry Tarrio, who goes by Enrique Tarrio, was released from police custody on Tuesday on charges of burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a black church last month during protests in the city after a ‘ Stop the Steal ‘. rally last month. He was ordered by a local judge to stay out of Washington pending trial, including during this week’s protests.

“Kekistan” flags

The green, white, and black flags were created by some members of the 4chan online community to represent a made-up joke land called “Kek,” a fictional god they also created. It has long been present at right and far right rallies.

“The Kekistan flag is controversial because its design is derived in part from a Nazi-era flag. This was apparently done on purpose as a joke,” explains Pitcavage. “Younger right wingers from the 4chan subculture (both mainstream right and far right) often like to display the Kekistan flag at rallies and events.”

Changed historical flags

Altered flags of the Confederate and Gadsden could be seen in the crowd at the Capitol. A variation of the Confederate battle flag featured an assault rifle image and the slogan “Come and take it” to convey an anti-gun control message. The phrase ‘come and take it’ is a paraphrase of the ‘come and take them’ answer of Spartan King Leonidas at the Battle of Thermopylae when Persian King Xerxes told him and his people to lay down their spears in exchange for their lives, Pitcavage said.

The Gadsden flag, known to many as the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, is a traditional and historic patriotic flag that dates back to the American Revolution. The flag and symbol are also popular among libertarians. But it has also been co-opted by right-wing groups. Pitcavage explains that while some fly it as a symbol of patriotism, others use it as a “symbol of resistance to perceived tyranny.”

Oath Keepers

A man is seen wearing an Oath Keepers hat in the Capitol after it was breached. The Oath Keepers is a pro-Trump, far-right, anti-government group that considers itself part of the militia movement charged with protecting the country and defending the constitution. The group seeks to recruit members from active or retired military personnel, first responders or police.

Their leader has spread extensive conspiracy theories on his blog, accusing Democrats of stealing elections, previously threatened with violence if necessary on election day during an interview with far-right conspiracy Alex Jones, and said his group would be armed to destroy the White Protect house. if necessary, according to the ADL.

The Confederate Flag

During the long United States Civil War, no Confederate battle flag came in the shadow of the Capitol, but on Wednesday an insurgent wore one right through his corridors.

Photographers captured a man carrying it past the portraits of abolitionist Charles Sumner and slave owner John Calhoun.

The flag has always been a symbol of support for slavery. After World War II, it became a prominent symbol of Jim Crow and segregation, Pitcavage says unsurprisingly, it’s a popular symbol among white supremacists – even outside the United States.

America first flag

A rioter is wearing an America First flag with the logo of the podcast of far-right commentator Nick Fuentes. Fuentes attended the event at the Capitol, but was photographed staying outside the Capitol.

“America First” was also a slogan President Trump used to describe his foreign policy. Its adoption was criticized by the ADL, which said it had an anti-Semitic use in keeping the US out of World War II.
The ADL says Fuentes is part of the “Groyper Army,” which the ADL calls a white supremacist group.

While the group’s views and leadership align with those of the white supremacist alt-right, the groypers try to normalize their ideology by aligning with ‘Christianity’ and ‘traditional’ values ​​ostensibly defended by the church, including marriage and family, ”the ADL explains. “Like the alt-right and other white supremacists, Groypers believe they are defending against demographic and cultural changes that are destroying the ‘true America’ – a white, Christian nation.”

“Camp Auschwitz”

A rioters in the Capitol wore a “Camp Auschwitz” sweatshirt. On the bottom of the shirt it says “Work brings freedom”, which is the rough translation of the words “Arbeit macht frei” at the gates of the Nazi concentration camp. Auschwitz was the largest and most infamous Nazi concentration camp, where about 1.1 million people died during World War II.

Pitcavage says he believes the shirt came from the now-defunct website Aryanwear. The design, which has been around for about 10 years, according to Pitcavage, has appeared on several websites in recent weeks, although it is often removed when a complaint is made.

Nationalist Social Club stickers

A social media image shows stickers from the Nationalist Social Club on what appears to be US Capitol Police equipment. It’s unclear when the photo was taken, but it was posted Wednesday in a Telegram chat using the group, which includes a Nazi symbol as part of their name.

NSC, apparently a pun on the National Socialists or the Nazi Party, is a neo-Nazi group with regional branches in both the United States and around the world, the ADL said. It’s unclear whether the sticker on the right refers to a New England chapter, or because the group originally called itself the New England Nationalists Club.

“NSC members see themselves as soldiers at war with a hostile Jewish-controlled system deliberately plotting the extinction of the white race,” the ADL said. “Their goal is to create an underground network of white men who are willing to fight their alleged enemies through local direct action.”

MAGA Civil War January 6, 2021 shirts

There are still many questions about exactly how the attack on the Capitol happened and who led the attack. But calls for overthrowing the government and for a civil war or a race war have long been shouting in far-right circles.

The shirts these men wore on the Capitol grounds on Wednesday show that there was at least some intention to commemorate the day. They wore preprinted shirts, alluding to Trump’s signature Make America Great Again slogan, alongside the words Civil War and the date of the event that culminated in revolt.

Many commentators on far-right forums have written since the attack that this is just the beginning of that civil war that many of them have long longed for.

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