Small Turnout at Justice for J6 Rally
Police vastly outnumbered protesters around the US Capitol building during a sparsely attended rally by supporters of the people who breached the building on Jan. 6.
The organizer for the rally, former Donald Trump campaign operative Matt Braynard, expected up to 700 people to show up. About 100 to 200 protesters showed up.
Members of the violent gang the Proud Boys also opted not to show, with members suggesting that the rally “sounded like a trap.” Four people were arrested at the rally, including one person with a gun, one with a knife and two with outstanding warrants.
Hundreds of officers patrolled the grounds and an 8-foot tall fence was reinstalled around the Capitol and multiple congressional offices closed ahead of the rally. One hundred National Guard troops were on standby.
Speakers at the rally insisted that hundreds of rioters arrested for their actions on 6 January were “political prisoners” who had committed no violence. Prosecutors and legal experts say the cases are being handled properly.
About 600 people have been charged in the federal investigation into the Capitol riot. At least 185 are accused of assaulting, resisting, or impeding police officers or employees. More than 70 have been charged with destroying or stealing government property.
