I wandered down to the Supreme Court, where folks participating in the “Jericho March” are scheduled to pray for SCOTUS/Congress to oppose the 2020 election results.

Also here: folks wearing albs and blowing…smoke out of shofars.

The, uh, nature of the smoke is…unclear.

Another person is brandishing an American flag and wearing…a Guy Fawkes mask?

There’s a lot going on here, people.

As folks mull about, organizers are blasting an overtly Christian nationalist anthem.

“God bless America again, We need the blood of Jesus to wash away our sins…”

We’re now all being asked to leave because police say they’ve found a “suspicious package” nearby.

As people leave, some chant “four more years!”

Others, draped in US flags, blow shofars (without smoke).

Officer telling people “usually this stuff is short-term” (which, in my experience working as a reporter in DC, is often true).

Assange: waiting online with other journalists for a ruling from District Judge Vanessa Baraitser. Although the hearing is taking place at the Old Bailey, this is a sitting of Westminster Magistrates’ Court. It is not a trial. The losing side may appeal against the DJ’s ruling.

Reporters covering the Assange hearing remotely can now see and hear the courtroom. Edward Fitzgerald QC is asking for a glass of water. The dock is currently empty.

Assange: court is waiting for him to be brought into the dock. Ed Fitzgerald QC, his counsel, is still desperate for a glass of water.

Assange enters the dock. He wears a suit and tie — and a facemask.

District judge enters court. Assange confirms his name and DOB.

CHAOS ON CAPITOL HILL
 
Witness to history: The Capitol was breached on Wednesday, January 6, 2021, by hundreds of rioters who vandalized offices, fought with police, posed for pictures and trashed the greatest of all symbols of American democracy. Details & analysis thread here.

witnessed it all.

“When this started to unfold, we were as reporters inside the Capitol focused pretty squarely on what was happening on the House and Senate floor. But then you could actually start to hear things going on outside of the Capitol.

We're working inside these very tightly confined areas for broadcasting, but you can tell there's definitely some problems going on.
So I immediately looked out the front window on the west side of the capitol and course you could just see a sea of humanity making its way.

little did I know at that very moment -that was the time when all the demonstrators were just about to breach that security barrier which really, frankly is just a bunch of bike racks that are set up outside the east side of the capitol.

They rushed them and then before you knew it they were on top of the Capitol steps and as I first realized what was happening -I mean it reminded me of something out 1970 in Central America or somewhere where there was some kind of coup taking place.”

The Alabama duo—Mo Brooks and Tommy Tuberville—is one I suspect the FBI will want to investigate. At all stages of the insurrection it seems Trump was working with two Alabama Republicans to ensure the insurrection and the opposition to Biden's certification worked hand-in-glove.

(PS) Mo Brooks was the first Republican to say he'd challenge Biden's certification; was at Trump's rally talking about "kicking ass"; was allegedly conspiring with Akbar. His Alabama GOP delegation peer, Tuberville, was Trump's Senate man, contacted by Giuliani mid-insurrection.

(PS2) A lot of people will be asking about conversations that may have occurred between/amongst Trump, Giuliani, Brooks, Biggs, Gosar, Tuberville, and Akbar as to how the insurrection would be timed and how it would dovetail with Brooks'/Tuberville's actions inside the Capitol.

(PS3) We now know both Trump and Giuliani contacted Tuberville as the insurrection was happening to get him to artificially elongate his objections to Biden's win. These exhortations would've had the effect—and appear to have been intended to—give the insurrectionists more time.

(PS4) I say "appear to have been intended to" because we now have numerous major-media reports establishing that Trump was "excited," "pleased," and "enthusiastic" as the insurrection unfolded. This was the same period of time he tried to *elongate* GOP objections to Biden's win.

ALERT: Here's how @USArmy @USNationalGuard responded to the #CapitolRiot. Follow this thread for more.

Statement on the National Guard Response in the District of Columbia from the Secretary of the Army.

"During a rapidly evolving situation Wednesday Jan. 6, the Department of Defense fielded multiple calls from elected officials requesting and

offering assistance to the unprecedented breach of the U.S. Capitol Building. The Army and the D.C. National Guard were coordinating with the federal Capitol Police and the local D.C. Metropolitan Police Department to assist with an immediate response.

Secretary of the Army, Hon. Ryan McCarthy, first spoke with Governor Larry Hogan at 4:40 p.m. on Jan. 6. He thanked him and accepted his offer. Secretary McCarthy assured him his service members will be taken care of and provided a point-to-point contact.

Throughout the day and the morning of Jan. 7, Secretary McCarthy spoke directly with the governors of Virginia, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Additional National Guard support from New York and Delaware was also approved and communications with all of these states and

🧵This THREAD adds context to the @BuzzFeedNews article: These Black Capitol Police Officers Describe Fighting Off "Racist Ass Terrorists"

There was an organized militia within the rioters. They must be arrested and charged with treason.
https://t.co/eheu8qH1W7

Two Black officers told BuzzFeed News that THEIR CHIEF and other UPPER MANAGEMENT left them totally unprepared and were NOWHERE to be found on the day. Some fought them off for two hours before the attackers eventually gained access.

Many widely spread images of smiling marauders, wandering the halls dressed in absurd costumes, had the effect of downplaying how well prepared some of the rioters were to overtake the building & even capture & kill Congress members. Listen at 8 sec

At 8 sec: "Yo we need everybody in here now. Take the paperwork. Take those papers" an organized militia can be heard saying.

“That was a heavily trained group of militia terrorists that attacked us,” said the officer, who has been with the department for more than a decade. “They had radios, we found them, they had two-way communicators and earpieces. They had bear spray. Flash bangs.

ARRESTED: Richard Barnett, 60, of Gravette, Arkansas was arrested today in Bentonville, Arkansas on multiple criminal charges related to unlawful activities at the Capitol where he was photographed with his feet up on a desk in the @SpeakerPelosi's office. #DCTerrorists

ARRESTED: Cleveland Meredith was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with making interstate threats to Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (need photo)

Lonnie Coffman, of Alabama, was charged on Jan. 7, 2021, with possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device) and carrying a pistol without a license. (Part 1)

It is alleged that Lonnie Coffman’s vehicle contained 11 explosive devices known as Molotov cocktails and firearms. It is further alleged he was in possession of two firearms. Coffman was arrested and is currently being held. His detention hearing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2021.

Mark Leffingwell, was charged with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; assault on a federal law enforcement officer; and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. (part 1)

From DC Metro Police Dept;
Tues 01/05/2021-Thurs 01/07/2021, multiple 1st Amendment demonstrations are expected to occur in D.C. In conjunction w/ these demonstrations, there will be parking restriction & potential street closures that motorists should take into consideration:

@stphnfwlr Judge Cohen is going off on them for waiting until after the certification and audit.

“It was a decision knowing ... that you’d take away time from the superior court to resolve” the claims.

Now saying that the only remedy that they can get is congressional objection and vote.

Cohen is highly skeptical that a federal judge can’t invade congressional authority after state certification of an election.

Again reiterating that trump waited too late to make a challenge since only remedy is Congressional rejection of state electors.

Daily Bookmarks to GAVNet 01/09/2021

I’ve been saying this a lot lately in private conversations with friends, but am realizing I should probably just say it more publicly, since so many people ask me about it: No, you’re not wrong for caring a lot about social justice issues and wanting the church to do the same.

Your frustration with this broken country and your desire to see more being done about it isn’t sinful. Your desire for justice more than peacekeeping isn’t wrong.

Have you read the Prophets? Do you remember Jesus flipped over tables? Do you recall the issues Jesus addresses or the people whose names he knew who would normally be passed over? The poor? The outcast? The women? The oppressed?

He taught us to pray “On Earth as it is in Heaven.” He modeled again and again how to bring that about through his life on Earth.

But, I also would urge you to consider how you are defining the church you are frustrated at. Do you mean the leadership? The staff? The denomination? The institution in general?

US law enforcement has literal centuries of shameful history of infiltrating and spying on politically disfavored activist groups, from trade unionists to suffragists to abolitionists to civil rights advocates to antiwar advocates.

1/

Long before #cointelpro, federal agencies were intercepting communications and embedding as provocateurs in radical political movements, often with the help of mercenary "contractors" like the @pinkerton_agent. The digital age only ramped up this public-private surveillance.

2/

The #NoDAPL protests were infiltrated and surveilled by beltway bandits who billed the US taxpayer handsomely for the

2020's #BLM uprising was subjected to the full array of military and national intelligence surveillance: drones, IMSI catchers, mass interception, infiltrators, wiretaps, "reverse warrants" to recover location data from Big Tech monopolists and

And yet, federal and local agencies were seemingly totally unprepared for a mob of thousands of armed terrorists who stormed the capitol, disrupted the transition of presidential power, and threatened the lives of US legislators as well as the integrity of state documents.

5/

We're moments away from British judge announcing extradition decision in WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's case. I'll have live updates shortly.

In their closing argument, Assange's legal team outlined how they believed the case brought by the Trump Justice Department was "politically motivated"

The Crown Prosecution Service, which represents the US government in the extradition proceedings, has contended WikiLeaks is in the "business of encouraging individuals to hack into computers"—clearly criminalizing their decade-plus record of journalism.

I see a bench inside of a glass container, where Assange will be isolated during the announcement of extradition decision. This has been standard practice during his case, even after he complained about how it infringed upon his ability to participate in his defense.

Overheard Fitzgerald, who is on Assange legal team, complaining about lack of water.

"It's not as bad as Iwo Jima, I suppose..."

It’s pupillage season with the Gateway opening. I’m not on the pupillage committee at @5SAHLaw but I do deal with mini-pupillages. This is a thread for aspiring barristers applying for both pupillages and mini-pupillages. I hope it helps some of you through a difficult process.

1/ What makes a good application is to an extent subjective. I hope I’ve pulled out some key features which are universally accepted as being important, and will hopefully improve your application and your chances of an interview. Disclaimer: these are all my opinions of course.

2/ PROOF READ. Seriously, proof read it again, and again. Take a break for a day and proof it again. Print it off and read it out loud. Get rid of any typos, spelling or grammatical errors. Your application represents you it should not be sloppy.

3/ Please use the correct name of the chambers you apply to. You wouldn’t believe it but I receive mini applications for other chambers. Given the number of applications received for pupillage received don’t let a mistake like this damage your chances.

4/ Be succinct. Don’t use 10 words when 4 will do. The word limit is a limit not a target. Don’t use flowery adjectives. Bullet points can work. Your audience is a lawyer, make the language direct and driven. Being succinct takes time, strip out non-essential words & information.