Wary Officials Brace for US Capitol Rally

Law enforcement officials in Washington are on high alert ahead of Saturday’s planned rally at the U.S. Capitol, the site of a deadly insurrection earlier this year. Called “Justice for J6,” the protest is in support of suspects jailed after the January 6 attack in which backers of former President Donald Trump sought to prevent the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. U.S. Capitol police said they were aware of internet “chatter” about potential violence and were taking precautions, should the chatter turn out to be credible.   “We would be foolish not to take seriously the intelligence that we have at our disposal,” USCP Chief Tom Manger said. Manger is particularly concerned about the possibility of confrontations between protesters and counterprotesters, who will be at sites about a kilometer away from each other. He called it the “most likely scenario” for violence, adding that the counterprotesters were coming from three groups — two historically peaceful and one that has “had some clashes before.” Coordination web The law enforcement precautions calls for coordination between the police who patrol the U.S. Capitol and police for the District of Columbia. The Pentagon also has 100 members of the National Guard on standby, should they be needed. Officials took pains Friday to reassure the public they were better organized than in January and would not tolerate the violence that led to the breach of the Capitol. USCP management was criticized for underestimating the potential for violence on January 6 and leaving officers unprepared for what they faced. Yogananda Pittman, assistant chief for protective and intelligence operations for the USCP, said the department traditionally relied on outside sources for intelligence about potential threats but now has expanded its reach and “dramatically changed the way that we process and share intelligence with our law enforcement partners at every level.” No tolerance of hate The head of the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency spoke out ahead of the rally. “The District of Columbia is 700,000 residents strong,” Christopher Rodriguez said, “and we do not tolerate hate, violence or the criminal actions of those who committed the insurrection on January 6th.”  On January 6, a group of about 800, mainly supporters of Trump, overran the Capitol, forcing members of the House and Senate to flee to safety. Five people died during or immediately after the attack, which was repulsed after hours of hand-to-hand combat. More than 600 people have been charged with crimes and, according to the District of Columbia Corrections Department, about 40 remain jailed. Request for White House records A House of Representatives select committee is investigating the attack. In late August, the committee requested White House records from the Trump administration, the FBI and other federal entities. This week the reinforced fence and concrete barriers that surrounded the Capitol following the riot were erected again. Metal barriers separate the area of the rally from streets circling the Capitol. Signs reading “No Gun Zone” are posted, reminding visitors of Washington’s local law forbidding openly carrying firearms. Trump has not commented on the planned Saturday rally but did reference those charged in the January attack, saying, “Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly.” Rally organizer Matt Braynard is a Trump supporter who formerly worked as an analyst for the Republican Party. Braynard and other rally organizers refer to those still behind bars as “political prisoners” and will call for their release. When asked to respond, the USCP police chief said, “Everybody’s got the right to free speech. They can believe what they want to believe. I’m there to uphold the rule of law and make sure everybody’s safe.”