In numerous images of the disturbances in the Capitol appears a young man with a beard, long hair, yellow sweatshirt and tattoos on the hands that some publications have identified as antifascist (antifa), also pointing out that he wore a “communist” tattoo. As we have been able to verify, his profile on networks is that of a gamer who follows Trump and the figure in his hand comes from a video game.
Leadstories.com has identified the individual as Will Watson and provides photographs of a now defunct Instagram account where you can see him clearly. We have investigated its name and it corresponds to various digital content of a person who is fond of video games. In your account Twitch.tv has retransmissions Live and defines himself as “a pretty decent person” who now focuses on Apex Legends, a combat game.
The Twitter account is already inactive, but traces remain on the Web. It shows the political tendency of Watson. From November 4 posts in support of Trump appear and the hashtag #Stopthesteal is used, used by those who maintain that there was electoral fraud.
Capture from Watson’s Twitter account.
In the middle Alabama Political Reporter they claim Watson is from that state, Alabama. They show a message that he posted on Snapchat: “They want to call me Antifa because I have a video game tattoo on my hand and I was asking for a peaceful speech […]. Let them say whatever they want. Fake news will not win against the thousands of patriots who recorded today. In his Instagram account, according to this outlet, there were references to several conspiracy theories related to COVID-19.
Some users accused Watson and the person who accompanied him in the image (with a mask, glasses and short dark hair) of antifa. A Spanish politician suggested they were not Trump supporters. The excuse was the appearance of a photograph with two similar-looking people on the blog Phyliantifa.org. However, in that snapshot said blog is not showing members of its collectiveInstead, he’s pointing to a white supremacist, Jason Tankersley. The original photo, in fact, shows three people, but it was circulated cropped to show only two, Tankersley and another man, who resemble Watson and his companion and could expand the confusion.
Tankersley denied in his Facebook page who was in the assault on the Capitol and pointed out as proof that he had cut his beard and hair years ago, as can be seen in a photography. Neither their tattoos match with those of Watson, which does not have drawings on the fingers while Tankersley does.
The tattoos on the hands of Watson (left) and Tankersley (right)
Watson’s tattoo on his left hand has been said to be a “communist hammer and sickle”, but it’s not like that. The figure comes from Dishonored video game, as many amateur users have pointed out.
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