THAT’S RALLY SAD
Far-right protest fizzles in D.C. amid sea of cops
A muscular police presence met a sparse crowd of right-wing protesters who headed to Capitol Hill on Saturday to support suspects in the deadly Jan. 6 assault on Congress.
Cops in heavy riot gear stood guard as around 400 people gathered on a grassy field at the foot of the U.S. Capitol. A podium above the crowd hosted far-right speakers, who complained about the treatment of defendants in the harrowing January attack.
The U.S. Capitol Police, who promised a robust security plan after incurring criticism in connection with the siege, shared an image on social media ahead of the rally that showed a sea of camouflage-clad officers.
“Teamwork,” the department wrote on Twitter.
After the rally, the Capitol Police announced four arrests: A man with a knife was detained on a weapons violation; two people stopped in an auto were taken in, one on a possession of a firearm charge, the other on a probation violation; and a man carrying a gun in the crowd was arrested.
Law enforcement officials worked furiously last week to prepare for the event.
A tall black chain-link security fence rose outside the Capitol. Congressional lawmakers and staffers were asked to stay away from the area. Authorities put together a 25-agency-strong plan to protect the cradle of democracy, according to the police.
The National Guard was made available if needed, the Capitol Police said.
The Saturday protest was organized by Matt Braynard, a former campaign operative for former President Donald Trump. He acquired a permit for a 700-person demonstration, according to authorities.
The rally was set to start at noon and to run for about 85 minutes, said a notice published by Look Ahead America, Braynard’s organization. In a video published with the guidance, Braynard asked participants to respect cops during the rally.
“Be kind to them,” he said. “Be respectful. And if they ask you to do something, please do so.”
Eric Ward, the executive director of Western States Center, a progressive organization in Portland, Ore., that monitors extremism, said his group didn’t believe more than 500 people would show up for the demonstration.
“We just haven’t seen significant mobilization,” Ward said. On Saturday afternoon, it proved a mostly sleepy affair. Despite concerns about possible clashes between protesters and counterprotesters, no major confrontations were reported.
Cops with white bikes appeared to keep groups separate when tensions cropped up, according to video published on social media.
After the rally wrapped up, the Capitol Police wrote on Twitter its civil disturbance unit had gathered at an intersection nearby “to keep protesters and counterprotesters away from each other.”
Soon after, the department tweeted it had split the groups “without incident” or arrests.
The limited drama proved a far cry from Jan. 6, when a mob broke into the halls of Congress, inspired by Trump’s false claim that the vote was rigged.
That day, Trump urged his supporters to “take back our country” as he claimed he had soundly beaten President Biden in the November election.
No evidence has emerged that the election was fixed, and Trump lost decisively in both the popular vote and the electoral college. Four people died in the Jan. 6 riot, and four cops who responded to the attack later took their own lives.
Trump signaled his support for Saturday’s event, saying, “Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election.”
But he otherwise publicly ignored it. In an interview with The Federalist, he called it a “setup.”
“If people don’t show up they’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s a lack of spirit.’ And if people do show up they’ll be harassed,” Trump told the conservative news outlet.
Braynard didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. Congress was out of session, and Biden headed to Delaware for the weekend.
At the rally, the song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” played out of loudspeakers, an eyebrow-raising selection. Billy Joel, the Long Island crooner who wrote the turbo recitation of Cold War-era ills, is a critic of Trump and once said the former president “enraged him.”
A spokesman for Joel declined to comment.
More than 600 people have been charged with crimes after the U.S. Capitol attack.