Stewart Rhodes, 56, was charged with “sedition” along with ten other members of Oath Keepers.
Nine of them have already been arrested and are accused of “criminal association” to interfere in an official process or of having committed violent acts, with a certain degree of coordination.
The charge of “sedition”, very rarely used and punishable by 20 years in prison, it goes further. It implies having conspired against the government or some of its laws, a much more political dimension.
This is the most serious accusation to date against those who attacked the headquarters of Congress to try to prevent the victory of Joe Biden in the presidential elections.
In addition, the parliamentary committee in charge of clarifying the events of that day and establishing the eventual responsibility of Donald Trump in the episodes, announced this Thursday that it will summon those responsible for four social networks: the parent company of YouTube (Alphabet, also the parent company of Google), to that of Facebook (Meta), Reddit and Twitter.
Researchers want to know “how the spread of disinformation and violent extremism contributed to the violent attack on our democracy” and what measures, if any, social networks took to prevent their platforms from becoming breeding grounds for radicalisation.
Two days after the presidential elections of November 3, 2020, Stewart Rhodes stated in an encrypted conversation with other members of his group, “We can’t get out of this without a civil war,” according to the indictment.
Before January 6, Stewart Rhodes was “associated” with some of his co-defendants “to prevent the peaceful transfer of power”, especially “using violence”, he says.
Detained Oath Keepers members “arranged transportation from across the country to Washington, equipped themselves with all kinds of weapons, dressed in combat gear, and were ready to answer Rhodes’ call to arms.”
Their goal was to “break in and attempt to take control” of the Capitol, the document states.
At the time of the attack, Rhodes, a former military officer who founded Oath Keepers in 2009, was near the Capitol, but it is not clear if he entered the compound.
In addition to Stewart Rhodes, a law graduate from Yale University, police arrested another member of this radical group, Edward Vallejo, 63, in Arizona this Thursday.
Who are the Oath Keepers
Rhodes, recognizable by his patch over his left eye, is the leader of this highly decentralized paramilitary organization with thousands of members, according to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which fights anti-Semitism and racism.
Oath Keepers opposes the federal government, which it accuses of collaborating with a global conspiracy to deprive American citizens of their rights, particularly the right to own a gun.
The organization primarily recruits soldiers, police officers, firefighters or members of the emergency services, who have sworn to protect the US Constitution “against their enemies foreign and domestic,” according to the ADL.
When they enter Oath Keepers, they also promise to disobey any order from a “tyrannical government” that violates the Constitution, such as to “disarm Americans” or impose martial law on the country.
Dressed in military uniforms and armed, Oath Keepers members became more visible in 2020 by participating in protests against restrictions imposed in some states to curb the coronavirus pandemic. They were also seen on the sidelines of the large anti-racist demonstrations that shook the country, according to them, to protect businesses from looting.
The group echoed conspiracy theories such as the existence of a “deep state” within the US government that wants to establish a “new world order,” and sought to undermine the authority of former President Donald Trump.
Since January 6, more than 725 people, including members of the far-right groups Proud Boys, Oath Keepers or Three Percenters, have been arrested for their participation in the assault on the Capitol.
Source From: Ambito
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