Officials warn of potential violence at Capitol rally.
Authorities are ramping up security around the Capitol after federal law enforcement officials concluded that supporters of former President Donald Trump flocking to Washington this weekend to rally for defendants charged in the Jan. 6 riot “may seek to engage in violence.”
“We are aware of a small number of recent online threats of violence referencing the planned rally, including online discussions encouraging violence the day before the rally,” intelligence officers from the Department of Homeland Security wrote in a report Thursday.
The officers are preparing for violence to erupt with “little-tono warning,” although authorities haven’t identified any “specific or credible plot associated with the event,” according to the document.
Still, the report points to concerning chatter on social media, noting that intelligence officials have found that some people are discussing storming the Capitol the night before Saturday’s rally, “and one user commented on kidnapping an identified member of Congress.” Others on the internet have mentioned targeting elected officials, Jewish institutions and “liberal churches.”
The “Justice for J6” rally, slated for Saturday, is being organized by former Trump campaign operative Matt Braynard and his organization, Look Ahead America. The organization has demanded that the Justice Department drop charges against what the group calls “nonviolent protesters” facing charges stemming from the Jan. 6 riot. Organizers have secured a permit for 700 attendees at the rally, according to the document.
In preparation for the event, security officials have restored a security perimeter around the Capitol, including a high fence like the one erected in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot.
The rally is the latest effort to rewrite the history of the deadly mob attack on the Capitol, which sought to disrupt Congress’ count to formalize President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election, and which prosecutors say led to as many as 1,000 assaults against police officers.
Federal authorities have issued multiple intelligence reports this year warning that the Jan. 6 attack may not have been an isolated episode, and that domestic extremists have been emboldened by the mob attack and false narratives around the 2020 election.
“Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election,” Trump said in a statement. He added, “JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!”
Members of Congress and law enforcement officials have said security preparations for the rally Saturday are a stark contrast to the planning in the weeks before Jan. 6. A report by two Senate committees found that authorities failed to adequately warn law enforcement officials and share intelligence before the riot earlier this year.
Unlike the riot of Jan. 6 where the Capitol Police were severely outmanned, the agency plans to be at full staffing for the Saturday rally. It has issued an “emergency declaration” that allows officers from other agencies to be deputized with police powers on Capitol grounds.