The Capitol rally seeks to rewrite Jan. 6 by raising rioters

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WASHINGTON First, some blamed the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol on antifa opponents, a theory that quickly debunked. Then came the comparisons of rioters to peaceful protesters or even tourists.

Now, former President Donald Trump’s allies are calling those charged with political unrest political prisoners, “a stunning effort to change the narrative of that deadly day.

The pointless rhetoric before a rally planned for Saturday at the Capitol was the latest attempt to explain the horrific attack and cover up what played out for the whole world to see: rioters loyal to the former president who rushed in the building, fighting police and trying to stop Congress from validating the election of Democrat Joe Biden.

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Some people call it January 6 trutherism that they rewrote the narrative to make it seem like January 6 isn’t a big deal, and it’s a moody big deal, and an attack on our democracy, Heidi Beirich said. , co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, which studies extremist movements.

All told, the attempted whitewashing of the Jan. 6 attack threatens to further divide a polarized country that has drifted from what are common realities and a shared commitment to civic order towards an undisturbed one. that new normal.

Instead of a country recovering eight months after the deadly attack, it is in danger of ruining itself, as the next election approaches.

The expected size of the crowd and the intensity of Saturday’s rally are unclear, but law enforcement seems to have no chance. Security fencing around the Capitol was requested and reinforcements were summoned to back up the Capitol Police, whose leadership was criticized and violently removed for handling it on Jan. 6.

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While authorities are preparing for a repeated appearance of right-wing extremist groups and other Trump loyalists who have crowded into the Capitol, it is unclear whether those artists will participate in the new event. The extremist groups are about to because, while members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers made up a small fraction of the rioters on Jan. 6, they are accused of some of the more serious crimes of attack.

Rally organizer Matt Braynard, a former Trump campaign strategist, is promoting the event and others like it in cities across the country, focusing attention on what he called inmates who were unfairly accused for on their involvement in the riot on January 6.

I am proud of all the brave patriots who participated in these rallies under the same threat to their rights as so many are imprisoned today for a non -violent assertion of their First Amendment rights, he said in a news report on July release

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Braynard declined to respond to further questions via email, and The Associated Press refused to accept the conditions he made for an interview.

As Trump openly considers another run for the White House, many of the Republican lawmakers who joined his effort to challenge Bidens ’victory remain far from Saturday’s rally, though many still express his false claims that the election was confused despite numerous court cases by Trump allies that failed to confirm those allegations.

Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., Who joined rally-goers near the White House on Jan. 6 where Trump urged the majority to go to the Capitol, declined to comment, his spokesman said via email. Brooks is now running for the Senate.

Another Republican, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, who voted to challenge some Electoral College elections, was not available for an interview, his office said.

Also declining an interview was Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Who was photographed raising a fist in salute to the mob as he entered the Capitol that day.

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However, even in their absence, some Republicans have telegraphed their views. When asked if he would attend, the Hawleys office released a comment on behalf of the senators.

Joe Biden should resign, Hawley said in a statement.

More than 600 people face federal riot charges that injured dozens of officials and sent lawmakers into hiding. Five people were killed, including Trump supporter Ashli ​​Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police as he tried to enter a lobby in the House room. Many police officers followed their lives.

Hundreds of people have been charged with misdemeanors for illegally entering the Capitol, but hundreds more face more serious felony charges including assault, obstruction of an official trial or conspiracy.

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The most serious cases were brought against members of two right-wing extremist groups Proud Boys and Oath Keepers as authorities investigated the extent to which the attack was planned. The defendant was not charged on Jan. 6 with sedition, although it was initially considered by authorities.

More than 60 people pleaded guilty, mostly on misdemeanor charges of showing up at the Capitol.

Only a fraction of the defendants will remain locked up while they await trial. Lawyers complained of overly harsh conditions for the defendants Jan. 6 in the DC jail, saying they were being held in the so -called Patriot Unit.

Defenders of the alleged Capitol attackers claim they face more severe prosecution because of their political views than others, including Black Lives Matter protesters, but an examination of AP court cases has refuted that claim.

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Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a member of the select panel investigating the Jan. 6 attack, said violators of the law need to be prosecuted, otherwise, we’re just saying, justified and encouraged more of the same.

Schiff regrets that the country had a chance to move on from the Jan. 6 attacks, but instead chose a different path.

There’s really an opportunity to reject everything that led to Jan. 6, and instead, continue to embrace it with the Republican leadership, he said. So that was discouraging. This means that recovery will take longer than it should.

The leaves of the Capitols, a park-like favorite place for people to snap photos in front of the iconic dome, will usually see a few lawmakers or staff on a Saturday. While the Senate will return to session Monday, the House will not resume until after Monday after the rally.

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When the fence around the Capitol was first climbed after the attack in January, it drew heavy criticism from those concerned about the message being sent as a symbol of democracy being shut down. Today, this is increasingly seen as a necessary precaution.

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Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin in Boston and Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Mary Clare Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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