January 10, 2021, 10:17 am
One of the five people killed because of the attack on the Capitol was trampled to death by her fellow rioters, according to recent reports. And now photographs of her waving a “Don’t Tread On Me” flag the same day have begun to circulate.
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Rosanne Boyland traveled from Kennesaw, Georgia, to participate in the pro-Trump, anti-democracy protests that soon turned into a full-blown attack on the Capitol building on January 6th.
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As rioters stormed the building, allegedly trying to get their hands on Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress they felt had “betrayed” their dear leader in his attempt to overturn the results of the presidential election, Boyland — who had stormed in with them — found herself caught in the crowd.
“[Rioters] basically created a panic, and the police, in turn, pushed back on them, so people started falling,” said Justin Winchell, a friend of Boyland’s who was there with her. “I put my arm underneath her and was pulling her out and then another guy fell on top of her, and another guy was just walking [on top of her].”
The stampede resulted in a medical emergency from which the paramedics were unable to revive Boyland.
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According to her family, the 34-year-old had dived headfirst into QAnon and bought every word President Trump was spouting about the election being stolen from him by Joe Biden — something Trump and his lawyers have failed to prove despite initiating over 60 lawsuits related to their baseless conspiracy theories.
So it’s no surprise that Boyland was pictured before the riots carrying a Gadsden flag, an American Revolution-era symbol that modern right-wing extremists have co-opted as they denounce government involvement in anything that isn’t to their personal liking.
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The irony in carrying a flag with the words “Don’t tread on me,” aimed at the institution of government, shortly before being trampled to death by her fellow rioters after an insane attack on that same government, is clear.
And while Boyland’s family grieves the loss of someone they wished they could have pulled out of the QAnon spiral before it destroyed her, they also believe the man she held in such high esteem needs to be held accountable for his part in her death.
“Rosanne was very passionate about her beliefs, as I’m sure many people who were present at this event yesterday were,” Boyland’s brother-in-law, Justin Cave, told reporters. “But it is my own personal belief that the president’s words and rhetoric incited a riot last night that killed four of his biggest fans. And I believe that we should invoke the 25th Amendment.”
*First Published: January 10, 2021, 10:17 am
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