Right-wing rally in D.C. draws small crowd and tight security
Trump’s supporters discover much has changed at U.S. Capitol grounds since Jan. 6
WASHINGTON — The most anticipated visit by right-wing activists to the nation’s capital since a mob stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 ended with a whimper Saturday, as demonstrators supporting the rioters found themselves far outnumbered by police, journalists and counterprotesters.
As the protesters returned to the scene of a historically grievous attack on American democracy, it was obvious much had changed. The Capitol grounds — where a poorly prepared police fought a losing, hand-to-hand battle against former President Donald Trump’s supporters just over eight months ago — were secured Saturday with metal fences and hundreds of officers. The halls of Congress were all but deserted. No president, or former president, delivered a bellicose speech urging his election loss be overturned.
The relative peace and quiet was a welcome turn for the U.S. Capitol Police, whose leaders endured blistering criticism in the months after Jan. 6 for inadequate security.
In recent weeks, the agency had repeatedly warned that it would have a large force in the field, aided by police departments from across the region and the National Guard. The entire District of Columbia police force was activated Friday and Saturday. The massive law enforcement presence Saturday was unmistakable, with many in full riot gear and others on horseback.
The rally’s poor attendance came as no surprise — and did not necessarily signal a weakening of attempts on the right to falsely recast the deadly riot of Jan. 6 as something more benign. Organizers of the Justice for J6 rally argued that many of the hundreds of people charged in connection to the breaching of the Capitol were not violent and were exercising their constitutional right to engage in political protest. Similar claims have been made by Trump and embraced by many of his supporters.
Influential figures on the far right actually discouraged their followers from showing up Saturday, asserting the event was a trap. Baseless rumors on social media alleged the federal government was attempting to lure demonstrators to Washington to arrest them. The Proud Boys, a group with a history of violence that includes participation in the Jan. 6 insurrection, discouraged their members from attending.
Capitol Police said Saturday afternoon between 400 and 450 people had been observed at some point inside the protest zone. But many of them were journalists and other bystanders.
Simultaneous demonstrations elsewhere in the country were also sparsely attended. In Seattle, a group of about 15 stood in the rain, chanting “USA.”Some 20 people gathered across the street from the federal courthouse in Charlotte, where they were heckled by passersby.