USA: a group of Donald Trump supporters demonstrate in front of the Capitol in the middle of a major security operation

In the shadow of a fortified United States Capitol, a few hundred demonstrators came to a rally in support of the more than 600 detained by the January riots, but they were far outnumbered by the press and heavily armed police.

The Capitol police, leaving nothing to chance, reinforced by hundreds of agents brought to Washington to prevent a repeat of the attacks before the presidential inauguration. A fence was erected around the Capitol, city police were on alert, and reinforcements were called from the National Guard.

There were a few altercations at the start of the act and one person was arrested for stabbingpolice said, but there were no major incidents at the start. However, officers were alerted to the possibility of violent clashes between protesters and counter-protesters. The police were also on the lookout for the possibility of armed people. However, people with backpacks were allowed to arrive and inspection checkpoints were not set up.

The event took place in a field far from the Capitol surrounded by heavy trucks. Officers recovered their riot gear in remote areas and barricades were erected in the streets. Inside the Capitol, police shields were placed on doors and windows, in stark contrast to the events of January, when officers without riot gear were quickly outmaneuvered by rioters.

Meanwhile, counter-protesters gathered in the Freedom Plaza, about a mile from Trump supporters, and where they gave a festive mood to their claim with food, music and educational activities.

I respect

The Capitol, seat of Congress, was without lawmakers, as many are on vacation and the event takes place on weekends. But for the next few weeks, similar events are planned in various cities across the country.

The organizers, the group “Look ahead of America”, urged participants to respect the security forces and urged do not wear posters in favor of Donald Trump.

“We believe that anyone who committed violence against police officers or destroyed property in the Capitol building on January 6 should have a speedy trial; if he is guilty, he must be condemned and locked up ”, Organizing director Matt Braynard said on Friday C-SPAN.

“Our defense is on behalf of the vast majority of those arrested during this event who are not accused of having committed violence against the police, who are not accused of destroying property ”.

Thousands of Trump supporters, including white supremacists and ultranationalists stormed the Capitol on January 6 where lawmakers were preparing to certify Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the November election.

The crowd had been incited by Trump, who denounced without providing evidence that his election was stolen.

More than 600 people have been indicted for the riots which left five dead. A dozen of those charged have pleaded guilty and many face prison terms.

A protester was killed by the police when he tried to enter the Senate. Authorities say the mob attacked 140 officers. Damage to the Capitol complex was estimated at $ 1.5 million

“Our thoughts and thoughts are with the people who are being unfairly persecuted for the January 6 protest against the rigged presidential election.”Trump said in a statement Thursday.

The rest of the Republicans are distancing themselves

Republicans distanced themselves from the protest, despite some far-right lawmakers have expressed empathy for detainees in recent months, calling them “political prisoners”.

South Dakota Senator John Thune, the “number two” of the Republicans in the upper house “, he declared, quoted by the newspaper The New York Times, what’s new a lot of clearly angry people who want to walk to the Capitol”. Still, “I haven’t spoken to any Republican here in the Senate who promoted or authorized something like this,” he said.

The leader of the conservative minority in the lower house, Kevin McCarthy said this week that he didn’t expect a lawmaker from his party to attend the protest.. Even MK Marjorie Taylor Greene, a follower of the QAnon conspiracy movement and one of the Republican politicians who has expressed the most support for the detainees, will not be present at the march.

With information from AFP, AP and EFE

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