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Media Fact Checking

Antifa or not Antifa at the Capitol riot?

John Sullivan himself has video and says that he was at the Capitol riot in D.C..

When he was asked if he was a member of antifa, as he has used the hashtag in his social media posts, Sullivan said he understands where there could be confusion.

“If people are saying I’m antifa, as far as a terrorist organization, I’m not,” he said. “Am I anti-fascist? We all are anti-fascist. And that’s what we should all strive for being. I have my own organization, Insurgence USA, and that’s what it is for. That’s really what it is.” 1

“Gaetz, other Republicans baselessly claim Antifa was involved” – CNBC2

FBI says “No indication” that antifa took part in U.S. Capitol riot – CNBC 3

Place the blame where it belongs. Trump’s rabid supporters, not antifa, stormed the Capitol. – Suzette Hackney – USA TODAY 4

Scoop: Trump falsely blames Antifa for Capitol insurrection 5

The media goes on and on and on with the same narrative. NO ANTIFA. ALL TRUMP’S INCITEMENT.

Is this true??? I think we need to define Antifa before we can really evaluate these assertions.

Quick Google search on “What is Antifa?” and this is one of the top listings today.

This is what most media is reporting – that Antifa is a “loose network of demonstrators to counter fascism and racism…”

Enter John Sullivan…

[John Sullivan]A Utah activist who faces criminal charges in connection with a Provo protest he organized in June said he attended a pro-Trump rally that turned into a violent attack on the U.S. Capitol in order to see “the truth” about the protests for himself and the organization he represents.

The article continues on…

Sullivan, who is the founder of Insurgence USA, a social justice group that calls itself ANTI-FASCIST and protests police brutality, was detained by Washington police for about an hour and a half Thursday night, a day after he talked to local and national media about what he witnessed Wednesday.

We just heard from John’s site itself that says “Anti-Fascist” but not AntiFA. So, here is what the actual word Antifa means, by another Google search:

John Sullivan says he was there and had video of Ashli Babbitt who was killed in the incident.

After making his way inside the Capitol during the riot, Sullivan said he witnessed the shooting death of protester Ashli Babbitt, and the Twitter account for Insurgence USA retweeted video from someone with Sullivan that shows the shooting and the aftermath.

“I have video of it,” he said, describing in detail seeing the flash of the gun, the bullet strike Babbitt, and Babbitt’s reaction as she died there on the floor. “I am hesitant to post it. … It’s something I have to take in. I hope that people get a grasp of that situation. Whoever shot her, maybe should be held accountable. I guess that’s up to the law to decide.”

He claims Babbitt was the first one to try and get inside what he believes was the House chamber.

John was there. He was near the frontline of this ordeal, by his own account.

Throughout the video Sullivan can be heard telling police that they shouldn’t try to stop them from going different places because he doesn’t want them to get hurt. He appears to take his gas mask off at one point, but he is not shown in his own video except for a few seconds of an 18-minute video that has now been removed from his social media accounts.

As we started with, John himself states that he is “anti-fascist.” but there is more to it.

On Friday, Sullivan acknowledged that he was afraid at some points, but he denies trying to incite violence. In fact, he insists he was only trying to diffuse situations he saw as potentially volatile.

BUT…

Sullivan, 26, faces two criminal charges stemming from a protest he organized in Provo last June.
Charging documents say Sullivan recorded several hours of the protest and is seen in the recordings “kicking vehicles and threatening drivers” and directing protesters to block intersections. During that protest, a Provo man, 60, was shot in the elbow after protesters blocked his vehicle. Sullivan later admitted to police that he knew who the gunman was but failed to report it to authorities, according to the charges.

Let’s just end with this and you be the judge.

But some of the 40-minute video he posted to his social media sites contradicts his assertion that he and another woman were “only filming” the actions and not participating as he can be heard in the video encouraging people to join them as they push their way through police barricades.
When asked about some of the things he said during the 40-minute video, he said, “When you’re in a massive crowd like that, you have to blend in.” – John Sullivan – Insurgence USA – #Antifa
  1. https://www.ksl.com/article/50083768/utah-activist-inside-us-capitol-says-woman-killed-was-first-to-try-to-enter-house-chamber
  2. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/fbi-says-no-indication-that-antifa-took-part-in-us-capitol-riot.html
  3. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/08/fbi-says-no-indication-that-antifa-took-part-in-us-capitol-riot.html
  4. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/01/13/trump-supporters-not-antifa-black-lives-matter-waged-war-u-s/6624919002/
  5. https://www.axios.com/trump-falsely-blames-antifa-for-capitol-riot-bab4943c-d465-4d05-ae36-1e8d1437f168.html

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