Four Arrested at 'Justice for J6' Rally, No Clashes With Counterprotesters
22:14 GMT 18.09.2021 (Updated: 03:36 GMT 19.09.2021)
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According to a Sputnik correspondent, approximately 200 people gathered on Saturday in downtown Washington to participate in the Justice for J6 rally in support of people arrested after the January 6 riot.
US Capitol Police (USCP) arrested at least four people during the Saturday rally, one of whom was said to have been carrying a firearm.
Someone in the crowd reportedly spotted the man carrying a handgun and told USCP officers.
Two more people were detained at Louisiana Ave for felony extraditable warrants out of Texas, and one more was arrested for a probation violation.
The man did have a gun.
— U.S. Capitol Police (@CapitolPolice) September 18, 2021
Meanwhile, footage circulating on social media suggests the armed man might have been an undercover law enforcement officer.
Earlier at "Justice for J6" defendants rally:
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) September 18, 2021
Police surround masked man reportedly armed with a firearm.
He tells them where the gun is, and they pull out his badge.
He's undercover law enforcement.
Without disarming or handcuffing him, police extract him from the event. pic.twitter.com/F1n4PeuXkt
Some 700 people were expected to participate in the rally, according to a US Department of Homeland Security forecast. However, the USCP reported between 400 and 450 people at the march.
It was difficult to tell the real number due to the presence of reporters and counterprotesters from various movements, including Antifa, as seen in pictures from the rally.
Counterprotesters at the Justice for J6 rally in support of people arrested after the January 6 riot
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People gathered in DC on September 18 to participate in the Justice for J6 rally in support of people arrested after the January 6 riot
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At least 100 police officers were deployed at the square, with a helicopter circling over the US Capitol. A law enforcement spokesperson told Sputnik that there was no threat of organized riots and violence.
DC officials earlier said that over the last several weeks, they prepared contingency plans designed to immediately defuse any violence that may erupt on Saturday.
People gathered in DC on September 18 to participate in the Justice for J6 rally in support of people arrested after the January 6 riot
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The rally, organized by the Look Ahead America group supporting former President Donald Trump, intends to bring public attention and support to some 600 arrested, kept in detention and charged with crimes in relation to the January 6 events at the Capitol.
