#Heavy police presence trial#
The Associated Press reviewed hundreds of court and jail records for the Capitol riot defendants to uncover how many were being detained and found roughly 63 held in federal custody awaiting trial or sentencing hearings. Meanwhile, Donald Trump was still using his platform as the most popular leader in the GOP to express sympathy for those who were arrested and continue spreading election misinformation, ratcheting up his attacks as the week wore on. Far-right online chatter has been generally tame, and Republican lawmakers are downplaying the event. But some prominent members of the groups have sworn they aren’t going and have told others not to attend. Intelligence collected before the rally suggested that extremist groups such as the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers will turn up. In an MSNBC interview, he downplayed the low numbers in attendance, saying instead the media coverage of the event helped get the message out. It’s just the latest attempt to downplay and deny the January violence. 6 insurrection - about 63 people held behind bars out of the more than 600 charged in the deadly riot. The rally, organized by former Trump campaign staffer Matt Braynard, is aimed at supporting people who were detained after the Jan.
#Heavy police presence free#
After all, law enforcement was only expecting a free speech protest the day Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in an effort to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.Ĭapitol Police Chief Tom Manger said at a news conference Friday it was difficult to say whether threats of violence at the event were credible, but “chatter” online and elsewhere has been similar to intelligence that was missed in January. 6, and the increasing volatility behind the lie that the 2020 election was stolen, have made it impossible to predict what may happen this weekend.
Persistent attempts to rewrite the narrative of the violence and panic of Jan. Inside the Capitol, police riot shields were placed near doors and windows, a stark difference from January, when officers inside were left without riot equipment and quickly overwhelmed as the crowd stormed inside. Law enforcement officers geared up at staging areas and metal barricades were placed around the streets. The rally was ringed by heavy dump trucks and took place in fields far from the Capitol building. Police were also preparing for the possibility that some demonstrators may arrive with weapons, though backpacks were allowed into the area and there were no checkpoints. Still, law enforcement officials remained on edge, concerned about the possibility of violent protesters and counterprotesters. There were a few scuffles as the rally started and one person was arrested for carrying a knife, police said, but no major incidents were reported early on. The fence around the Capitol was put back up, the city police force was fully activated and Capitol Police requested assistance from the National Guard.
Capitol Police were taking no chances, with hundreds of officers brought into Washington in an effort to avoid a repeat of the pre-inauguration attack. (Associated Press) - In the shadow of a fortified Capitol, a few hundred demonstrators turned up Saturday for a rally to support those charged in January’s riot, but were vastly outnumbered by the media and a heavy police presence.
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