Just a couple of thoughts:
Anyone thinking that swarming into the Capitol was a good idea, did not think this through. Based on what I saw, it was pretty clear that they were not supposed to be in there. Did they believe they could do that and NOT get into trouble?
And did they believe that a perceived right wing protest would be handled well in the DC court system?
Anyone who is a right wing protester should have known the trial would be biased against them simply based on their location and they would facing a jury based on DC jury pools.
I agree that the punishments have been excessive—from their detention to the actual sentences. But anyone with any sense could have seen this coming.
The issue is that people do not think through their actions and assess the potential consequences.
In that context, the results should not surprise anyone. DC is not going to change. A “jury of your peers” works when you are in the area of your peers. My guess is that the folks on 1/6 were not seeing a lot of their peers in the aftermath.
I am not saying they were stupid per se; but they sure misjudged their situation.
I agree that it was stupid to go into the Capitol, even the ones that were allowed in.