Washington (ap) – in the shadow of a fortified capitol, a few hundred protesters arrived at a rally in support of those accused of the January insurrection on Saturday, but were vastly outnumbered by the press and heavily armed police.
The Capitol Police, leaving nothing to chance, were reinforced with hundreds of officers brought to Washington to prevent a repeat of the attacks before the presidential inauguration. The fence had been erected around the Capitol, the city police were on alert, and the National Guard had been called in for reinforcements.
There were some altercations at the beginning of the event and one person was arrested for carrying a knife, police said, but there were no major incidents at the beginning. However, the agents were alert to the possibility of violent clashes between protesters and counter-protesters. The police were also attentive to the eventuality of armed people. However, people with backpacks were allowed to arrive and no checkpoints were set up.
The event took place in a field far from the Capitol surrounded by heavy trucks. Agents collected their riot gear in remote areas and barricades were set up in the streets. Inside the Capitol, police shields were placed on doors and windows, in sharp contrast to the events in January, when officers without riot gear were quickly outmaneuvered by rioters.
Attempts to rewrite the history of violence and panic of that day persist and the increasing volatility behind the lie that the 2020 election was fraudulent does not allow us to predict what will happen this weekend. After all, security forces only anticipated a pro-free speech protest on the day Trump supporters took to Capitol Hill to try to prevent Joe Biden’s certification of victory.
Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said at a news conference Friday that it could not be determined whether the threats of violence at Saturday’s rally are credible, but the “chatter” online and elsewhere has been similar. which was underestimated in January.
The authorization of the protest admits 700 people. According to Manger, the highest probability of violence will be in clashes between protesters and counter-protesters. Police are also preparing for the eventuality that some protesters are armed.
“We will not tolerate violence and we will not tolerate criminal conduct of any kind,” Manger said. “The American people and legislators expect us to protect the Capitol. I am confident that the plan we have developed will meet that expectation ”.
The event, organized by Max Braynard, a former Trump presidential campaign employee, is in support of those arrested for participating in the January 6 insurrection. There are some 63 prisoners among the more than 600 accused of participating in the violence that day. The act tries to minimize and deny the violence of January.