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Washington braces for rally supporting January 6 Capitol rioters
The Biden administration has deployed scores of National Guard troops ahead of the ‘Justice for J6’ rally in support of pro-Trump rioters who stormed the US Capitol on January 6
The ‘Justice for J6’ rally in support of pro-Trump rioters, who ransacked the US Capitol on January 6, is scheduled to be held on Saturday. The rally has been organised by Matt Braynard, a former Trump campaign operative, and his organisation, Look Ahead America. The supporters are demanding that the US justice department drop charges against January 6 protesters who are not charged with “destruction of property” or “committing violence against police officers”.
"Our advocacy is on behalf of the vast majority of people arrested at that event who are not charged with committing violence against police officers, who are not charged with destruction of property," Braynard told reporters on September 17. He added those who have “committed violence against police officers or destroyed property at the Capitol building on January 6 should be given a speedy trial -- if guilty, convicted and locked up”.
Around 600 people have been charged so far, with at least 185 accused of assaulting, resisting, or impeding Capitol police officers or employees and more than 70 have been indicted for destruction or theft of government property during the January 6 riots.
The Biden administration has deployed scores of National Guard troops and the black fence that surrounded the US Capitol building for six months following the January 6 riots has been brought back along with surveillance cameras. Members of the US Congress will not be in the Capitol building on Saturday.
Capitol Police chief Tom Manger told reporters that three groups of counter-protesters were planning on showing up to Saturday’s rally, which might lead to a potential clash between the groups. “What we're concerned about, I think more than anything, is the possibility of counter-demonstrators making it to this demonstration and there being violence between those two groups," Manger said.
The January 6 riots stormed the Capitol building as Congress was starting the electoral vote count. They were egged on by the then-president Donald J Trump, who had reiterated previously made claims of a “stolen” and “rigged” election. Thousands of Trump's supporters, some associated with ultra-nationalist and white supremacist groups, breached police parameters and scaled the Capitol building leading to chaos. One rioter was shot dead as she tried to breach the Senate. Officials say the rioters assaulted 140 officers and caused $1.5 million to the Capitol building.
Trump extended his support to Saturday’s rally and continued to claim that the election which led to his defeat was “rigged”. "Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election," he said in a statement.
