On Saturday, a rally near the Capitol in support of participants in the January Capitol riot who are facing criminal charges for their actions looked like a dud. Video journalist Brendan Gutenschwager identified a crowd “of over a hundred out” for the rally when speeches got underway… and that’s it. There’s been a nationwide uproar among whiny, pro-Trump circles in favor of the Capitol rioters, and all that these rally organizers could muster was a crowd in the low 100s. Apparently, MSNBC identified the turnout for the rally at about 200.
Check out some coverage below:
Crowd of over a hundred out for the Justice for J6 rally as speeches begin, with even more press out covering here in Union Square pic.twitter.com/8YpSSNMcEp
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) September 18, 2021
Not a huge crowd here at the J6 rally at this point. Maybe a few hundred if that. More press and police. There was just a little skirmish where a guy on a bullhorn got escorted away by police. Video to follow. pic.twitter.com/FYSWZ5N8H1
— Evan Lambert (@EvanLambertTV) September 18, 2021
BREAKING: Only 200 or so people have showed up for the ‘Justice for J6’ domestic terrorist rally near the Capitol, per MSNBC. A total flop!
— MeidasTouch.com (@MeidasTouch) September 18, 2021
Rally organizer pissed members of Congress didn’t show up today, but praises the ones who went to the DC Jail, appears that he helped to coordinate. pic.twitter.com/Nos6hcHQlu
— Lauren Windsor (@lawindsor) September 18, 2021
Notably, former President Trump himself previously characterized Saturday’s rally as a “setup,” even though the event was planned by an organization called Look Ahead America, which is led by a former staffer on Trump’s campaign. Still, as Trump self-confidently put it in a recent interview with The Federalist:
‘On Saturday, that’s a setup… If people don’t show up they’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s a lack of spirit.’ And if people do show up they’ll be harassed.’
Ahead of the rally, significant security measures including fencing were put in place amid concerns about the possibility of further violence from Trump’s frenzied supporters. Although Trump did not endorse Saturday’s rally, he has thrown his support behind those who have faced criminal charges in connection to the deadly riot at the Capitol in January. In a statement that he released this week, he said that Americans’ “hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the January 6th protest concerning the Rigged Presidential Election.” Obviously, calling what happened at the Capitol in January a “protest” is ridiculous, but nevertheless, the statement shows apparent affinity on the part of the presumed 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner for individuals who participated in a brutal assault on the U.S. Capitol.