The highly anticipated “Justice for J6” rally on Saturday fell short of fears that the event could be a potential sequel to the violent Jan. …
The highly anticipated “Justice for J6” rally on Saturday fell short of fears that the event could be a potential sequel to the violent Jan.6 riot when hundreds of people stormed the Capitol in support of then-President Trump. The rally permit was for 700 expected attendees, but roughly 400-450 people showed up — including members of the press — according to United States Capitol Police. Cara Castronuova, a political activist, spoke at the rally about it being a peaceful gathering, despite the fears of Washington. “Thank you to the mainstream media for saying this is going to be a white supremacist rally. Do I look like a white supremacist to you?” said Ms. Castronuova, who is of Chinese and Italian descent. Event organizer Matt Braynard, who served as data director for former President Trump’s 2016 campaign, warned attendants for weeks about not wearing anything that supported a political party or figure. At one point during the rally, Mr. Braynard asked two attendants that carried American flags with symbols of the far-right extremist group Three Percenters on it to not show the flags, or exchange them for flags without the symbol. “This [protest] is not about President Trump,” Mr. Braynard said. “This is not about President Biden. It’s not about the election. It’s not about what you think happened with the election. It’s not about any fringe third-party group.” He said the rally was held to support jailed rioters’ who’ve made allegations of being treated harshly by jail staff or being denied the right to a speedy trial. “This is about the many people who were there that day — who’ve not been charged with violence, not been not accused with assaulting a police officer or destroying property — and the disparate treatment they have received,” he told the crowd.
