Findlay Faces Friction over J6 Event
FINDLAY - Emotions were still raw as 4 individuals who were arrested by the FBI took to the stage at the Hancock County J6 Prisoner Town Hall. Moderator Jack Windsor asked the large audience to keep in mind that two things can be true at the same time. Violence could have occurred without being an insurrection. Weapons charges could exist while the weapons were actually flag poles. Videos of wrong-doing could exist without the person taking the video actually observing the wrong-doing. Speakers gave their story of the unfolding events while protestors lined up outside the town hall in objection to the event.
Brandon Straka, national figure and founder of the #WalkAway movement, found himself in ankle shackles when he was arrested by the FBI. Straka was on the Capitol grounds after being invited to speak at the January 6 event. After speaking, Straka walked the grounds doing interviews and talking to others in attendance. He took videos of patriotic participants excited to be gathering in the freezing cold, with thousands of people whose voices had been silenced by the media, but had found comfort knowing so many others felt that there was something very wrong with the 2020 election.
Protesters lined the streets bordering the Hancock County Fairgrounds, yelling at vehicles as they entered the party center parking lot. Brandon Straka, against the wishes of the event organizers, did attempt to speak to the protesters, but described them as irrational and unhinged. Local police were on the grounds for the security of event attendees as well as the protesters outside.
Most of the speakers at the event were not shy about describing what happened at the Capitol Building as a riot, though small and limited. Straka recounted his experience as very different from what was shown on the news stations that day. He was not on the side of the Capitol where the violence took place. His view was of a group of people assembled on the Capitol steps facing outward away from the building, singing songs and having their pictures taken. He had heard people yelling that the gates were open and they were letting people onto the Capitol grounds. Open bike rack gates welcomed those wandering after the formal speaking events. Entering the space on the other side of those bike racks is what the government had decided was worthy of shackles. Straka was arrested in his apartment in New York while he watched agents raid the apartment and confiscate all of his electronics.
The other 3 speakers at the town hall included business owners and a musician. The musician, a history major in college, spoke candidly about how he viewed the Capitol Building as 'The People’s House'. He described the event as “people swept up in a demonstration” rather than a protest. While present on the grounds he described a strong sense of patriotism and knew there was history in the making from a group of people who believed they had been wronged in the 2020 election.
The musician recalled that on that day, he led a crowd in the singing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic, an action that was eventually used against him, when his arrest charges included encouraging battle behavior. He also described his arrest by a somewhat sympathetic FBI agent, sharing that the agent who arrested him felt the arrest was political, yet the orders were carried out.
The musician recalled thinking “What country am I in?” during his arrest. He informed the audience that the government had spent $16 million to carry out the arrests and investigations of January 6th attendees.
The small business owners that participated in the town hall held raw emotions as they described their experiences and arrests. With no prior criminal history, one recalled his feelings as being a bit uneasy when he entered the Capitol but did not feel he was committing any serious crime. Thoughts of an action similar to a speeding ticket crossed his mind. The other business owner described his home being raided with red laser lights shining through the windows in the dark. He worried for his family members who were walked backward out of their house.
The other family business owner described the 2020 January 6th event as a mostly peaceful protest, not an insurrection as the media portrayed. The FBI had been harassing his mother at home before they arrested him at work. He was charged with 3 misdemeanors.
All four of the January 6th panel members agreed that the 2020 January 6th event was not an insurrection. One even defined the word insurrection as “the violent overthrow of the government with weapons of kind” which does not align with what occurred on January 6, 2020. They spoke about not knowing of any deadly weapons on the grounds, but seeing other items being used in harmful ways, though no deaths were associated with those items. The death of Ashely Babbit was mentioned as the only death that occurred due to an unprovoked gunshot wound.
Attendees at the Hancock County Republican event were treated to a song written by one of the panel members. They also sang along with his rendition of God Bless the USA.
Brandon Straka took the main microphone at the end of the event to give more details on his experience and arrest. His story seemed to be a never ending and expensive nightmare where the government used him as an example to strike fear of protest into the public. He cautioned the other panelists about how they were used as pawns in a corrupt government scheme. Straka noted how after speaking with numerous January 6th prisoners and detainees, that the charges against each individual seemed uneven. More severe charges were given to those who had more public reach or influence of followers.
