Objective: We analyze the factors that may have played a role in facilitating the crowd behavior of the January 6 riot and the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Method: Using the theoretical perspectives of Le Bon and of Smelser as background and comparing and contrasting these with the social identity perspective, we examine the potential relevance of research on social influence, behavioral and emotional contagion, deindividuation, group decision making, and leadership for understanding crowd dynamics. Results: We find general support for Le Bon’s approach, and we also find the crowd behavior consistent with the more contemporary social identity/self-categorization perspective on deindividuation. Conclusions: We discuss the societal conditions that lead to these types of conflicts and suggest ways for group psychologists to take an active role in helping minimize the polarization that leads to these types of disruptive and violent collective events. We argue for more intellectual humility and for understanding and integrating a greater range of perspectives to solve societal problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)