A Vermonter was so close to the rioting last week at the U.S. Capitol that he captured video of pro-President Donald Trump insurrectionists trying to bust inside.
Anthony Sabens also accepted thanks for being in D.C., writing on Facebook, “It was my pleasure. Was a great time.”
Sabens, who states on his Facebook page that he lives in Coventry, said he would not talk to VTDigger about his postings because of past reports by the news organization on Slate Ridge, a tactical gunfighting facility in West Pawlet.
That facility, which refers to itself online as an “educational consultant” that provides a “dynamic solution to your defense scenarios,” also often hosts training for local militia members.
Contacted through Facebook, Sabens refused Wednesday to be interviewed.
“Sorry but your company isn’t a company I will talk with,” he replied in a message.
“You have bashed Slate Ridge which teaches people proper gun safety and handling,” Sabens added. “For that alone I will not talk to you. Your company of fear starting is not American on anyway. Nor is it true reporting. Sorry you work for a company with no morals or ethics.”
Asked if he entered the Capitol building or feared facing the possibility of criminal charges, Sabens responded, “LOL. Get a life. I would be careful what you say about me. Lies get you sued. You can take your BS fake reporter self elsewhere.”
One of the videos posted to YouTube under Sabens’ name scans the large group gathered last Wednesday outside the Capitol building and on the steps leading up to it. Many in the crowd are wearing red MAGA hats and waving Trump and American flags.
It’s not clear exactly where Sabens is located when shooting the video, though he appears to be above much of the crowd and not far from steps and a door leading into the Capitol building. In one Facebook post he refers to being in the “back.”
In one of the videos, a voice could be heard yelling, “Go in.” Another video shows many people in the crowd at the top of the steps trying to breach the doors to the building as a man could be heard repeatedly shouting “Push!” as the camera zooms in for a closer view.
It’s also not clear if the loud yelling voice in the video is Sabens, or someone else nearby.
Sabens wouldn’t tell VTDigger if he went inside the building, though Seven Days reported Wednesday that he told them that he did not.
Many Trump supporters did storm inside the U.S. Capitol as Vice President Mike Pence and lawmakers were certifying President-elect Joe Biden as the winner of the election.
Now, more than 80 people from around the country are facing criminal charges in the Capitol break-in, and federal authorities say hundreds of more arrests are expected.
The FBI also issued a bulletin this week, warning of the possibility of armed protests at statehouses across the country, including Vermont, in the days leading up to the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20.
Sabens wrote on his Facebook page that posting the videos online was no easy task, stating, “FB won’t let me upload any videos from my D.C. trip.”
He added, “I can’t send it thru Messenger either. I’m blocked from sending videos. FB just sent me a warning saying I’m being locked from posting videos and pics.”
Sabens wrote his videos were being blocked because they showed that “lies” were being spread about what actually took place.
Instead, Sabens wrote, he was posting his videos to YouTube.
Sabens’ Facebook page includes many pro-gun, pro-Trump, and pro-Slate Ridge postings. Last month, he posted a video on Facebook of himself delivering a message to the “American people.”
In that Dec. 28 post, he decried a government that he said was looking out for itself and manipulating the citizens of the country. He pointed to the recently approved stimulus checks of “only” $600 as showing that those in government don’t care about people.
“What we the people really need to do is we need to shut this country down until we get what we want,” he said, and people should stop working to get the government’s attention.
“We need to shut this country down, refuse to be their slaves anymore,” he said. “We need to step up and we need to let them know that we’re done giving our money away. We need to stand our ground.”