The most frequent argument is that they can't be guilty of anything, because police stood by and welcomed them inside, even though the mob pushed past police barriers, sprayed chemical irritants and smashed windows as chaos enveloped the US government complex.
The January melee to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory was instigated by a mob of supporters of then- US President Donald Trump who have professed their love of law enforcement and derided the mass police overhaul protests that shook the nation last year following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
But they quickly turned on police in one violent encounter after another.