The rally, organised by the group Look Ahead America that supports former President Donald Trump, intends to bring public attention and support to some 600 individuals arrested, kept in detention, and charged with crimes related to the 6 January events at the Capitol. The rally is expected to gather about 700 people and is scheduled to run from noon to 1:15 p.m. EST (5:15 p.m. GMT).
Three counter-protest demonstrations will take place on Saturday as well in Washington, but local authorities have put plans in place to keep the groups apart from the "Justice for J6" rally.
"We are planning for a safe event tomorrow but there have been threats of violence associated with the events for tomorrow and we have a strong plan in place to ensure that it remains peaceful, and if violence does occur, that we can stop it as quickly as possible", Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger said during a press conference on Friday.
Manger said they are unsure about whether the online threats of violence are credible but they are taking no chances in light of the 6 January siege of the Capitol building.
The Pentagon on Friday approved the Capitol Police's request to deploy 100 unarmed National Guard troops to the Capitol complex.
Local law enforcement officials said that over the last several weeks they've prepared contingency plans designed to immediately defuse any violence that may erupt on Saturday. There will be an increased number of police officers working throughout the city through the day, officials added.
On 6 January 2021, a group of protesters besieged the US Capitol in a bid to prevent lawmakers from certifying the 2020 election results that Trump had repeatedly denounced as "rigged" and fraudulent, and certify Democrat Joe Biden as the winner. At the time, scores of pro-Trump supporters rallied outside the US Capitol building.
Pro-Trump protesters storm into the U.S. Capitol during clashes with police, during a rally to contest the certification of the 2020 U.S. presidential election results by the U.S. Congress, in Washington, U.S, January 6, 2021
© REUTERS / Shannon Stapleton
The crowds stormed the building, vandalising it, and clashed with police. Five people died as a result of the events and dozens more were injured, including at least 138 police officers.
FILE - In this Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021 file photo, supporters of President Donald Trump, including Jacob Chansley, right with fur hat, are confronted by U.S. Capitol Police officers outside the Senate Chamber inside the Capitol in Washington. Congress is set to hear from former security officials about what went wrong at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That's when when a violent mob laid siege to the Capitol and interrupted the counting of electoral votes. Three of the four testifying Tuesday resigned under pressure immediately after the attack, including the former head of the Capitol Police.
© AP Photo / Manuel Balce Ceneta
Law enforcement authorities have since arrested over 500 individuals who participated in the Capitol riots, charging some with assaulting federal police officers. The authorities charged hundreds of people for participating in the event.
Democratic lawmakers used the events at the Capitol to try to permanently ban Trump from politics by impeaching him a second time. However, the impeachment trial failed in the Senate in February, when Trump was already out of office.