USA
Capitol attack: video recordings should be published
Trump supporters storm the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. photo
© Essdras M. Suarez/ZUMA Wire/dpa
There are a number of conspiracy theories about the storming of the US Capitol. Trump supporters don’t want to hear about a violent attack. Thousands of hours of video material should provide an insight.
The new leader of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, has announced plans to release thousands of hours of video surveillance footage of the Capitol attack. “To restore Americans’ trust in their government, we must create transparency,” he said.
The decision will give millions of Americans, lawyers, public interest organizations and media the opportunity to see for themselves what happened that day, the Republican said. The material will be gradually published on the website of a committee of the Chamber of Parliament. The faces of private individuals should be made unrecognizable.
Five people die
With the move, Johnson is reportedly fulfilling a promise he made to the ultra-right in his group before the election for the top job. They repeatedly falsely claim that the violent attack was a peaceful demonstration.
Supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the parliament building in Washington on January 6, 2021. Congress met there to formally confirm Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election. Trump had previously incited his supporters during a speech. As a result of the riots, five people died.
There had already been disputes about the surveillance recordings in the past. Johnson’s predecessor in the congressional post, Kevin McCarthy, had given recordings exclusively to the then Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson. The right-wing talk show host showed a few selected pictures and commented on them in the spirit of Trump. Carlson is known for spreading conspiracy theories and was fired from Fox News a few months ago. At the time, Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger called Carlson’s compilation of the video footage misleading.