Gay ‘Former Liberal’ Arrested for ‘Disorderly Conduct’ at Capitol Riot
A gay man who participated in the riots at the U.S. Capitol has been arrested.
Brandon Straka was detained Monday by FBI agents in Omaha.
The 44-year-old hairdresser faces numerous charges, including “impeding a law enforcement officer during civil disorder, knowingly entering and remaining on restricted grounds without lawful authority and/or engaging in disorderly conduct within proximity to a restricted building to impede official functions and engaging in disorderly conduct with intent to disturb a hearing before Congress,” according to KETV, a local ABC affiliate, which referenced a FBI report.
The social media posts of Straka, a “former liberal” who launched the #WalkAway movement in 2018 to woo liberals rightward, were his downfall. A since-deleted photo showed Straka shouting “Go, go!” near the capitol entrance.
Straka also sent a number of since-deleted tweets on January 6, including, “Patriots at the Capitol – HOLD. THE. LINE!!!!”
“Also- be embarrassed & hide if you need to- but I was there,” read another tweet. “It was not Antifa at the Capitol. It was freedom loving Patriots who were DESPERATE to fight for the final hope of our Republic because literally nobody cares about them. Everyone else can denounce them. I will not.”
And: “Perhaps I missed the part where it was agreed this would be a revolution of ice cream cones & hair-braiding parties to take our government back from lying, cheating globally interested swamp parasites. My bad.”
The FBI could not find the deleted tweets, but screen shots were sent in by tipsters. Additionally, the agency received footage of Straka allegedly egging the mob on at the capitol entrance and, at one point, urging rioters to take a police officer’s shield.
Straka, currently in federal custody, will appear Tuesday in federal court. He is one of over 100 who have been arrested for their participation in a rally headlined by President Trump that devolved into an attack on the U.S. Capitol building that resulted in five deaths.
Straka is no stranger to headlines. Last year, his refusal to wear a mask resulted in his removal from an American Airlines flight; passengers recorded his meltdown at the time and Straka continued the rant against the airline on social media. He had been reported to be en route to a Trump rally at the time, according to Metro Weekly.
Original Article on The Advocate
Author: Daniel Reynolds
