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Local, federal police brace for upcoming rally supporting Jan. 6 Capitol riot
defendants
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LOCAL, FEDERAL POLICE BRACE FOR UPCOMING RALLY SUPPORTING JAN. 6 CAPITOL RIOT
DEFENDANTS

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Kristine Phillips ,  Kevin Johnson   | USA TODAY

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Biden awards Congressional Gold Medals to officers who responded to Jan. 6
Capitol riots
President Biden honored law enforcement officers who defended the Capitol during
the Jan. 6 riots by awarding them Congressional Gold Medals.
Associated Press, USA TODAY


WASHINGTON – Local and federal police officials are bracing for a right-wing
rally that's meant to advance the false narrative that the hundreds
of defendants charged in the Jan. 6 Capitol attack were targeted for political
reasons.



The Washington Metropolitan Police Department said it will have an "increased
presence" around the city on Sept. 18, when a group organized by a former Trump
campaign staffer plans to gather on Capitol grounds.

Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said the agency is "closely monitoring" plans
for Sept. 18. Manger will also brief House and Senate leaders next week on
security preparations for the rally, a source familiar with the matter said.

Police agencies declined to share specific details about their preparation
plans. But law enforcement experts say the failure to predict and prevent the
violence on Jan. 6 means officials should prepare for the worst this time
around. The rally also comes a month after the Capitol complex was evacuated
because of a bomb threat followed by an hours-long standoff with a suspect.



Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who oversaw a critical review of Capitol Police
operations in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 riot, said security officials "must
assume that this rally has the potential to become a terrorist attack" and
officers should be prepared to use lethal force, if necessary.

Honore's report, released in March, called for a revamped training program,
intelligence gathering system and an effort to fill hundreds of positions.



“I’ve got confidence in them (Capitol police). They now have equipment to use in
civil disturbances; they have been getting recent training. I don’t think they
want to take another … whoopin,” Honore said.

"We ought not be stupid again," he added. 

Capitol riot arrests: See who's been charged across the U.S.

Chuck Wexler, executive director of the law enforcement think tank Police
Executive Research Forum, said the Sept. 18 rally represents the “first major
test” for local authorities since the deadly Capitol riot.




"So much happened on Jan. 6 that underscored the importance of intelligence,
mutual aid, communications and the need for a ‘Plan B’; this event will pull
together all of the lessons learned," said Wexler, who has talked with officials
involved in the preparations for this month’s rally.


RALLY ORGANIZER SAYS EVENT WILL BE PEACEFUL

Former Trump campaign staffer Matt Braynard, organizer of the "Justice for J6"
rally, has maintained that the event will be peaceful. 

In a video posted on the website of a group Braynard founded, he requested
attendees to be "respectful and kind" to law enforcement officers who will be on
the ground on Sept. 18. 

"If they ask you to do something, please do so," he said.

Still, experts say that after Jan. 6, law enforcement officials can no longer
underestimate or ignore any potential for violence.



"We have seen demonstrations turn violent very quickly. And this is a very
sensitive time," Wexler said.

'I know that day I saved countless lives: Capitol officer who fatally shot Ashli
Babbitt steps forward

Terry Gainer, a former Capitol Police chief, said the Jan. 6 riots highlighted
crucial weaknesses in police response, from basic preparedness to a lack of
communication.

"This question is as this rally approaches is whether those lessons were learned
... You are hopeful that it is a peaceful protest but you have to prepared for
something else altogether. I think they will be ready, because they (Capitol
police) don’t want to be remembered for the worst day," Grainer said. 



The "Justice for J6" rally will argue that the federal government has violated
the civil rights of those who have been arrested and charged, Braynard said,
calling the defendants "political prisoners."

Protesters are also expected to demand justice for Ashli Babbitt, who was shot
and killed by a Capitol police officer during the chaos on Jan. 6. An internal
review has cleared the officer of wrongdoing.

Capitol police officer who fatally shot rioter Ashli Babbitt has stepped forward
Lt. Michael Byrd, the Capitol police officer who fatally shot rioter Ashli
Babbitt during the deadly Jan. 6 siege, spoke out in an interview with NBC.
USA TODAY


The Justice Department, armed with dozens of pieces of video evidence showing
the chaos and violent attacks against police officers on Jan. 6, has charged
more than 500 people since – many of whom were charged with assaulting police
officers. Several defendants, including members and associates of two prominent
extremist groups, the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, have reached plea deals with
prosecutors.



More: House votes to award Congressional Gold Medals for Capitol Police, other
authorities in Jan. 6 riot



On the instant messaging platform Telegram, the Proud Boys denied reports that
members of the group will attend the rally, calling it a "guaranteed disaster"
that will lead to more arrests, and mocked those who plan to attend.

Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio told reporters Monday, as he was turning
himself in to a detention facility in Washington, D.C. to begin serving a
155-day jail sentence, that members of the group are not planning to attend.
Tarrio was sentenced to jail for burning a Black Lives Matter flag and bringing
high-capacity magazines to the district days before the Jan. 6 riot. 


REINFORCEMENTS SOUGHT

Law enforcement agencies declined to say whether they're beefing up staffing by
canceling days off for uniformed officers, or if they plan to erect fencing
around the Capitol Building ahead of the Sep. 18 event. But Capitol Police said
it has requested reinforcements from neighboring police agencies, adding that it
often does so for large events and demonstrations.

Manger, the Capitol Police chief, also said the department has made changes in
the way it gathers and shares intelligence after the Jan. 6 attack.



The FBI did not say whether it has reason to believe there will be violence on
Sept. 18, or whether it is looking into specific groups.

In a statement, the bureau's Washington field office said: "We do not initiate
investigations based solely on an individual’s race, ethnicity, national origin,
religion, or the exercise of First Amendment rights. We are committed to working
closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners against any
individuals who intend to commit violence and criminal activity that constitutes
a federal crime or poses a threat to national security."

Contributing: Savannah Behrmann and Will Carless

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