Insurgency, a stunning show of force for conspiratorial groups, extremists and fringe movements

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The insurgency at the heart of American democracy, encouraged by Trump’s rhetoric, has been a stunning show of force for fringe movements and their supporters.

One of the most recognizable figures in videos and photos of the chaos on Capitol Hill was a man in his thirties with a painted face, a fur hat and a horned helmet.

The protester, Jake Angeli – known to his followers as QAnon Shaman – quickly became a symbol of the bizarre and spooky spectacle as photos of him circulated through the halls of the Capitol holding an American flag affixed to a spear in one hand and a megaphone in the other, and even standing shirtless on the Senate platform.

Angeli, who lives in Arizona, could not be reached for comment, but her cousin, Adam Angeli, confirmed the man in the horns was her relative during a brief call with CNN on Wednesday. Adam Angeli said he thought his cousin might be in between jobs and that “he’s a patriot, he’s a very tall guy from the United States of America.”

Jake Angeli’s Facebook page is filled with posts hinting at QAnon’s conspiracy theories, whose adherents believe in a ludicrous theory that there is a cabal of Satan-worshiping pedophiles who have infiltrated the highest levels of US government and are opposed by President Trump.

Some of Angeli’s Facebook posts have a violent side, like a meme stating “we will have no real hope of surviving the enemies arranged against us until we hang the traitors hiding among us.” A photo on Angeli’s Facebook page shows him adorned with fur and horns, aiming at the camera with a rifle.

In recent months, Angeli has been regularly present at pro-Trump protests in Arizona, including protests outside the Maricopa County counting center.

Other rioters pictured at the Capitol wore clothing with QAnon icons and held signs with slogans associated with the bizarre movement.

CNN highlighted Nick Ochs in a crowd of protesters storming the Capitol building during a joint session of Congress on January 6.
Also among the rioters who filled the Capitol was Nick Ochs, the founder of Proud Boys Hawaii, a chapter of the far-right group. “Hello from the capital lol,” Ochs tweeted Wednesday, with a selfie of himself smoking a cigarette in the building.

“We didn’t have to break in, I just walked in and filmed,” Ochs told CNN in an interview Wednesday night. “There were thousands of people in there – they had no control over the situation. I was not arrested or questioned.”

Ochs ran an unsuccessful campaign for the state legislature last year, winning the endorsement of Trump’s confidant, Roger Stone, who recorded a video with him. He claimed in the interview with CNN that he was working as a professional journalist when he entered Capitol Hill, and that he did not enter any congressional office or bedrooms.
One far-right activist who was at the Capitol on Wednesday was Tim Gionet, who broadcast a video of himself inside the building for more than 25 minutes, according to multiple screenshots of the recording. shared on twitter.

Gionet, a leading extremist voice who goes by the pseudonym of “Baked Alaska” online, attended the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., Hannah Gais, senior researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center, told non-profit. Gais said she monitors the livestream while it airs.

Gionet has been suspended or banned from various online platforms. He could not be reached for comment.

Richard & quot; Bigo & quot; Barnett sits in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Jan.6.
One of the most shared photos of the chaos showed Richard “Bigo” Barnett, the leader of a gun rights group in Gravette, Arkansas, lounging in the office of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi , feet on a desk.
Barnett, 60, later showed reporters outside the Capitol an envelope he said he took from Pelosi’s office. “I didn’t steal it,” he said of the envelope, which was addressed to another congressman, in a video posted on Twitter by a New York Times reporter. “I put a quarter on her desk even though she wasn’t worth it.” He said he also left a note on his desk that said “Nancy, Bigo was there, bitch” and claimed he was Maced.

Facebook videos which appear to have been posted by Barnett on Wednesday show him walking near the Capitol. A photo posted that morning, carrying an American flag, was captioned “It’s about time,” and he previously asked for prayers “as we do our best to protect our patriots in Washington.”

Barnett could not be reached for comment.

CNN’s Blake Ellis, Melanie Hicken, Curt Devine, Scott Glover and Yahya Abou-Ghazala contributed to this report.



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