Iced Earth’s Jon Schaffer was among the angry mob storming the US Capitol

Iced Earth bandleader Jon Schaffer was photographed amid the angry mob of protestors who breached the US Capitol building in Washington DC yesterday (January 6).

Four people died during the violent protests, which took place in opposition to a joint session of the US Congress convened to certify Joe Biden’s victory in November’s Presidential elections.

Schaffer was photographed by Roberto Schmidt of the AFP agency with a group of demonstrators who stormed the Capitol as politicians debated the electoral vote.

This is the second time in recent months that Iced Earth’s guitarist and main songwriter has been photographed alongside supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump. On November 15, Schaffer spoke to the German daily newspaper Die Welt while attending another protest in the US capital, and Die Welt journalist Carolina Drüten posted a photo of the guitarist at the time.

“If someone uses violence against us, we will react accordingly. We don’t want that, but we are ready,” Schaffer told Drüten. 

Denouncing the American political establishment, Schaffer warned,”They will go down. They’re messing with the wrong people, believe me.”

During a September 2020 Facebook live chat, Schaffer voiced his distrust of the US political system.

“I’m not a left-or-right guy,” he stressed. “I’m an American — that’s my country; that’s where I live. I don’t trust my government. I don’t give a shit if it’s an ‘R’ or a ‘D’ next to the name of the person. I try to understand the bigger picture. I’ve done a lot of reading and a lot of studying. I’m a man of my convictions, and I don’t say stuff that I don’t truly believe.”

“You can’t put your hope into one president or one person, or a mayor or a governor or whatever,” he added. “You’ve gotta be out there and actively put pressure on these people, let ’em know you’re paying attention. If you’re not paying attention, they’re gonna rob you and steal everything. Your freedom too. Not just your money. They’re gonna steal your fucking freedom. ‘Cause they’re a bunch of sick control freaks.”

Source: loudersound.com