WASHINGTON — Washington and state capitols across the country braced Saturday morning for protests the organizers are calling "Justice for J6," aimed at drawing attention to what they say is the unfair treatment of people charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol.
United States Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger spoke on a megaphone early Saturday morning to a large group of law enforcement officers near the rally site in the nation's capital.
Capitol Police shared images of their final preparations on social media a few hours before the rally was set to begin at 12 p.m. ET.
Authorities had erected fencing earlier in the week around the Capitol and the Supreme Court, conducted "tabletop" rehearsals to plan for combating violence, and vowed that police would be visible across the city.
The crowd for the event, scheduled to take place in an area of the Capitol's west front, was sparse just two hours before the start time.
Law enforcement made clear Friday that multiple agencies were coordinating their response to the demonstration in an attempt to avoid the chaos of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Authorities were also organizing police presence at other events planned in other parts of D.C. on Saturday, including an annual street festival northeast of the Capitol.
"We are not going to tolerate violence," Manger told reporters Friday at a joint news conference with the Washington Metropolitan Police Department. "We will not tolerate criminal behavior of any kind."
Manger said Friday that there was intelligence "chatter" about possible violence Saturday and said he was most concerned about clashes between the protesters attending the rally and counterprotesters.
Mary Beth Cronin, 56, drove eight hours overnight from outside Hartford, Conn., to arrive early for the rally with a friend.
She said the media mischaracterized what happened on Jan. 6, lumping nonviolent protesters in with “a few bad apples.”
“I do not condone violence,” Cronin said. “Anyone who was violent that day, I condemn.”
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.
“Even if we’re the only two people here,” she said, “I still believe what we’re doing is right.”
Also ahead of the rally, Karen Irwin, 46, a counterprotester, wheeled a cart with homemade signs, including one that read “Terrorists are not political prisoners.”
“We came back for their insurrection 2.0,” Irwin said. “We need to have dissenting voices.”
Asked about an antifa sign, she said she’s not part of a group. “I don’t know of any organization,” she said. “If you are American, you’re a member of antifa — you’re anti-fascist.”
To the extent they were unprepared for the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, police indicated, they are ready to prevent and respond to illegal activity Saturday — whether it is perpetrated by primary demonstrators or counterprotesters.
Matt Braynard, executive director of Look Ahead America and the organizer of the event, wrote on Twitter that he expects "a 100 percent peaceful event in support of the nonviolent offenders...who have been charged.”
Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said Friday that "No Gun Zone" signs have been posted around the protest site and issued a reminder that it is illegal to bring a firearm within 1,000 feet of such a zone.
"The district gun laws will be enforced," he told reporters.
But firearm restrictions vary by jurisdiction, and satellite protests are planned at statehouses and federal buildings in 17 states, according to Look Ahead America.
Capitol Police warned that in addition to firearms, other items that are prohibited on Capitol grounds include replica firearms, knives, pepper spray, ammunition, explosives and alcohol.
Meanwhile, Manger said Friday that his main focus is protecting free speech and allowing for lawful demonstration.
Capitol Police said the National Guard would be available to assist in securing the Capitol perimeter if necessary but would not otherwise be deployed.
"We have a strong plan in place to ensure that it remains peaceful," Manger said, adding that officers would be ready to respond "if violence does occur."
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, according to the Justice Department.
The potential for chaos Saturday has made the rally politically toxic for leading Republicans, many of whom maintain the lie at the heart of the assault on the Capitol: that former President Donald Trump's defeat was the result of election tampering.
Trump, who was impeached by the House in January for his role in inciting the violence, said Thursday that rioters have been "persecuted" by the Justice Department.
"Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election," Trump said in a statement. "In addition to everything else, it has proven conclusively that we are a two-tiered system of justice. In the end, however, JUSTICE WILL PREVAIL!"
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But the former president, who was acquitted by the Senate, and other Republican officials are keeping their distance from the rallies. Neither he nor any member of Congress is expected to attend the main protest in Washington.
Trump has called the whole affair a "setup" for more arrests and criminal charges, a message that is being echoed in extremist online forums that were nerve centers for the Jan. 6 riot. As a result, the numbers at Saturday's rally may be smaller than the original protest-turned-attack.
The rally point in Washington is Union Square, a small park just west, and in clear view, of the Capitol. Organizers have posted rules to the website of Look Ahead America, the group sponsoring the protests. They include: "travel in groups," "do not wear or bring political, candidate or another organization's paraphernalia," and "be respectful to our security team and law enforcement."
The Justice Department says that about 140 police officers — from the Capitol Police and Washington Metropolitan Police Department forces — were assaulted in January.
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