Capitol rally live: Justice for J6 rally sees small turnout, heavy police presence

The last remnants of the Justice for J6 rally were already disappearing mid-afternoon on Saturday as a few stragglers remained behind to debate with counter-protesters who also attended.

A massive law enforcement presence and dozens of reporters also were seen clearing the area as the event concluded and the stage was torn down, leaving only the Capitol fencing as a reminder of the rally.

Four people were arrested around Washington in apparent connection with the events of the Justice for J6 rally on Saturday, according to US Capitol Police.

Two people were arrested after being discovered with felony warrants out of Texas, including one for possession of a firearm. It wasn’t clear if that individual had a firearm or any weapons on them at the time of their arrest on Saturday.

Officers detained and arrested a man just after noon for a weapons violation, finding that he had a knife on Capitol grounds.

Another man was arrested on Saturday in the crowd after being spotted with a handgun, which like knives are illegal on Capitol grounds and strictly regulated around the District of Columbia. Police said it wasn’t clear whether he was an attendee or counter-protester when he was arrested.

As of late Saturday afternoon neither of the two top House Democrats, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, had tweeted or released any statements on their website regarding the day’s non-event on the Capitol grounds.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was in a similar position, having not tweeted at all on Saturday and releasing no statements on his website.

Only Rep Hakeem Jeffries, the head of the Democratic House caucus, tweeted his own disgust at the protesters earlier in the day for hosting what he called a “celebration of cop killers and domestic terrorists.”

Two Republicans hoping to make their own entrance into the Capitol in a calmer fashion than did the rioters on 6 January spoke at Saturday’s rally in Union Square.

Joe Kent, a GOP candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump in his bid to unseat Rep Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican who broke ranks and supported Mr Trump’s impeachment, claimed in a speech that the constitutional rights of the 6 January accused were being violated.

Mike Collins, a Republican running to replace Rep Jody Hice as he seeks to unseat the Georgia Secretary of State who refused to entertain Mr Trump’s demands for him to stop counting votes in the state during last year’s election, also spoke at the rally and demanded that the Justice Department begin trying those in custody for offenses related to 6 January.

The attendance and speeches delivered by the two men skewed sharply from the stated purpose of the rally, which organizers including Matt Braynard, who retweeted both the candidates’ speeches, said would be non-partisan.

Matt Braynard, executive director of Look Ahead America and the organiser of Saturday’s sparsely-attended rally at Union Square, claimed on Twitter after its conclusion that 500 people had attended the rally in support of jailed 6 January rioters.

Estimates from reporters on the ground put the true number of attendees far lower, likely closer to 200. Some even put the number of actual supporters as low as a few dozen.

No matter the true number, protesters were seen being swarmed by members of the press on multiple occasions as they were heavily outnumbered by both media and law enforcement personnel.

Donald Trump Jr, the former president’s eldest son and frequent campaign surrogate, struck a mocking tone as he retweeted a photo of a group of men at Saturday’s rally that many on social media pointed out looked suspiciously likely plainclothes members of law enforcement.

Retweeting the image of several young men all wearing dark sunglasses and congregating in a group at the rally in shorts and t-shirts, Mr Trump Jr remarked: “They almost fooled the 2 non-feds in attendance.”

Rep Ted Lieu, a vocal critic of the former president who sits on the House Judiciary Committee, tweeted on Saturday that the small showing at the protest in support of 6 January rioters was a sign that former President Donald Trump’s grip on the GOP was loosening.

Rally attendees expressed dismay to news outlets that more did not show up in support of the protest, including members of Congress who have spoken out in support of the issue.