A small, peaceful crowd gathered Saturday in Washington to protest what the organizers say is the unfair treatment of people charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
WASHINGTON —
In the afternoon, the U.S. Capitol Police estimated that, excluding law enforcement, 400 to 450 people were inside the protest area. More than 600 people have been arrested in the eight-plus months since the Jan. 6 attack, more than 50 of whom have pleaded guilty to a variety of federal crimes. Six have been found guilty in court,Lori Smith, 58, a paralegal from the Atlanta area, was among the group attending the rally.
She said the media mischaracterized what happened on Jan. 6, lumping nonviolent protesters in with “a few bad apples.”As she surveyed the sparse crowd an hour before the scheduled start, she said it was important to attend because she believes conservatives have too often been silent.Law enforcement officers wore riot gear during the rally in case of any violence, equipment that many officers didn't have on Jan. 6.
The other arrest took place around 1:30 p.m., police said, when someone saw what appeared to be a handgun on a man in the crowd. He was detained and charged with unlawful activities.Law enforcement agencies coordinated their response to the demonstration in an attempt to avoid the chaos of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Authorities were also organizing a police presence at events planned in other parts of Washington on Saturday, including an annual street festival northeast of the Capitol.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Small crowd gathers near the Capitol to protest arrests of Jan. 6 riotersProtestors were met with a heavy presence of local, state and federal law enforcement — and members of the press — far outnumbering event attendees.
Read more »
Rally for Jan. 6 Capitol Rioters Concludes Without ViolenceA rally by Trump supporters protesting the prosecutions of hundreds of people charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol ended without the violence on Saturday
Read more »
Capitol rally to support Jan. 6 rioters has permit limiting meet to 700 attendees'At no point will I cancel this rally,' Matt Braynard told WTOP radio in Washington. 'This is happening even if I'm there by myself with a megaphone.'
Read more »
Washington Steps Up Security Ahead of Rally for Jan. 6 Capitol RiotersFencing was reinstalled on the Capitol grounds as police prepare for possible clashes and unrest involving former President Donald Trump’s supporters ahead of a rally for Jan. 6 rioters
Read more »
D.C. Rally to Support Jan. 6 Rioters Prompts Increased Capitol Police SecurityAuthorities are implementing some lessons learned during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol as they brace for a Saturday rally of Trump backers in support of the hundreds of people charged in the attack
Read more »