This is a reading of the December 22nd, 2022 final report from the select committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the United

States Capitol.

Chapter 8 Analysis of the Attack. 8.3. The initial attack. Within minutes of arriving at the Peace Circle,

the proud boys and their associates launched the attack on the U.S.

Capital.

The Circle is the site of the Peace Monument, a statue erected from 1877 to 1878 to commemorate naval deaths at sea during the Civil War

with two classically robed women, one woman representing grief covering her face and

the other woman representing history.

The woman standing in for history holds a tablet that reads,

They died that their country might live.

The Peace Circle's geographical location is crucially important for understanding how the January 6th

attack unfolded.

It sits at the end of Pennsylvania Avenue, just in front of the U.S. Capitol.

At the conclusion of his speech at the ellipse, President Trump directed rally attendees

to march down Pennsylvania Avenue to the U.S. Capitol.

Their shortest natural path would lead them right to the Peace Circle and to the northwest side of the Capitol grounds,

also known as the West Plaza.

By the time rally goers arrived, the proud boys and their allies had already removed

the fencing that stood in the crowd's way.

As a result, thousands of people streamed into the restricted capital grounds with relative ease.

When the Proud Boys arrived back at the Peace Circle at 12.49 PM, they still had about 200 to 300 members and many other protesters had joined them.

Shortly after arriving, the proud boys incited the crowd with

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