January 13, 2021
Roberto Schmidt/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Rioters stormed the capitol on Jan. 6.
Authorities identify woman killed by police in U.S. Capitol rioting
Ashli Babbit, a war veteran and supporter of QANON, was shot and killed at the capitol last Wednesday.
Why was she killed?
Babbit illegally attempted to enter the Capitol building through a window after being repeatedly told not to.
Background on Babbitt:
Babbitt was an air force veteran, libertarian, and follower of QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory. According to her ex-husband, she was known for her strong political views.
What happens now?
Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department are investigating her death as of the time of writing. The officer who shot Babbitt is on administrative leave.
QAnon is a pro-Trump conspiracy theory. Believers think that Donald Trump is fighting against Satan worshipping pedophiles who control all aspects of life, such as the media. Many of those who invaded the U.S. Capitol were believers in QAnon, such as Ashley Babbitt.
How did it start?
An anonymous user by the name of “Q” posted messages on a 4chan message board. The user claimed to have “Q level security clearance” at the U.S. government. The user would continue posting and gained a following of thousands.
Followers believe that “Q” intentionally posts some false information, which makes it harder to disprove QAnon’s ideologies to its supporters.
Impacts of QAnon:
Ashli Babbitt, a supposed follower of QAnon, attempted to break into the Capitol building and was shot and killed.
QAnon believers have made threats, attacked public figures, and obstructed public areas while heavily armed. Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s son, reposted a QAnon meme, and Donald Trump retweeted supporters of QAnon. Donald Trump seemingly endorsing QAnon affects peoples support of the theory.
Antifa is short for anti-fascist. Chris Wray, the director of the FBI, refers to Antifa as an ideology rather than an organization. However, Donald Trump believes that Antifa is an anarchist, extremist group that only incites violence. Trump also used ‘Antifa’ as an umbrella term for protestors of George Floyd’s death in June. Donald Trump also claims he will designate Antifa as a terrorist group. However, Antifa does not have a hierarchy or formal organization.
So… should we be concerned?
Wray believes that Antifa is an idealogy, not a terror group. After the Sept. 11 attacks, domestic terrorism was a large focus in a hearing held before the House Homeland Security Committee, mainly in the form of white supremacists and anti-government anarchists. Although some anarchists may believe in anti-fascism, it doesn’t mean that they are the “Group” of Antifa.
