Pentagon readies 100 National Guard troops ahead of rally for Capitol Hill rioters
The Pentagon has put 100 National Guard troops on standby ahead of a rally in Washington, DC in support of the Capitol Hill rioters. The rally itself is controversial, with former President Donald Trump calling it a “setup.”
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced on Friday that he had authorized a request by the Capitol Hill Police Board to put the guardsmen on standby. The 100-strong force will be stationed in the DC Armory and deployed if the Capitol Police or other local police forces securing the rally need backup.
"Today, Secretary of Defense Austin approved a request from the Capitol Hill Police Board to provide 100 members of the Washington D.C. National Guard" for Saturday's "Justice for J6" rally pic.twitter.com/CgspIWFWbT
— Scott Wong (@scottwongDC) September 17, 2021
The troops will not be armed, but they will wear bulletproof vests and carry batons, a statement from the Pentagon read. According to a Washington Post report, Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger initially asked for armed troops, but this request was changed at the behest of Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson and Pentagon officials.
Organized by a former Trump staffer, the ‘Justice for J6’ demonstration is expected to draw hundreds of protesters to Washington, DC on Saturday to denounce the treatment of over 600 supporters of the ex-president who have been charged and jailed for participating in the riot on Capitol Hill.
Capitol Police are expected to use a range of crowd-control measures, including fencing, concrete barriers, and road closures, in a bid to stave off the lawless scenes that played out in January, when protesters pushed their way into the Capitol and briefly disrupted the certification of Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Also on rt.com Trump won’t attend rally for Capitol Hill rioters, but SLAMS ‘two-tiered’ US justice system for ‘persecuting’ them – reportsRepublicans in Washington have taken a dim view of the planned protest, either ignoring it or calling for a stern police response. Trump, who maintains that the 2020 election was “rigged” against him, has said that the January 6 rioters are being “persecuted so unfairly.” Nevertheless, Trump told the Federalist news outlet on Thursday that the rally will be a “setup” for his supporters. “If people don’t show up they’ll say, ‘Oh, it’s a lack of spirit.’ And if people do show up they’ll be harassed,” he said.
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
