Here’s everything we know about the right-wing September 18 rally in Washington

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But it’s still unclear how many protesters plan to attend. And the rally takes place on a Saturday, when both houses of Congress are on vacation, meaning far fewer lawmakers or staff will be in the area.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger told reporters on Friday that the department has a “strong plan in place to ensure that” the event “remains peaceful and that if violence does occur , we can stop them as quickly as possible “.

The “Justice for J6” rally aims to support the insurgents indicted during the deadly riot of January 6 on the Capitol. Organizers say it should start at noon ET on Saturday.

Who are the organizers?

The rally is being planned by “Look Ahead America”, a nonprofit organization led by former Trump campaign staffer Matt Braynard. The group is “dedicated to defending the American patriots who have been forgotten by our government”, according to their website.
In interviews with CNN, Braynard insisted that the event will be peaceful and that “no one will bring a weapon that will be part of our crowd.” Baynard also encouraged attendees not to wear any candidate or election related gear.
Still, at least one Proud Boys leader encouraged followers from across the country to show up, though others online have discouraged participation and warned that it could be a false flag operation designed to trap supporters.

Meanwhile, “White Lives Matter” advertises global protests for September 18 and has supported the January 6 insurgents online, but it does not have a DC chapter.

Who is expected?

Manger said on Friday that Capitol Police still didn’t know how many people to expect, but event organizers had obtained permits for 700 attendees in Washington.

About 500 people have indicated they plan to attend, although an internal Capitol Police memo reviewed by CNN notes that recent events hosted by Look Ahead America have had significantly lower attendance than expected.

No sitting members of Congress are scheduled to appear at the rally. But the list of speakers includes two Republican candidates for Congress – Mike Collins, who is running for a House seat in Georgia, and Joe Kent, who is running to overthrow Washington State Representative Jaime Herrera Beutler, a Republican who has voted to impeach Trump.

The lawyer representing the family of Ashli ​​Babbitt, who died while participating in the Capitol Riot, has also been invited to speak but has not yet confirmed his presence, according to the DHS brief.

What are the police waiting for?

Law enforcement officials are bracing for potential clashes and unrest during the rally, according to an internal Capitol Police memo reviewed by CNN.

The intelligence report on the event notes that online discussions in support of the rally began to escalate after the officer who killed Babbitt made his identity public in a recent interview with NBC’s Lester Holt.

There was a noticeable increase in violent rhetoric around the event and heated discussions centered around the Babbitt shooting on social media and chat rooms, according to the note. The document warns that many people may also view September 18 as a “Justice for Ashli ​​Babbitt” rally, which could be of concern, and it is not unreasonable to plan violent altercations.

There have been further discussions of the violence associated with the event, with an online chat suggesting violence against Jewish centers and liberal churches as law enforcement is distracted that day.

In its intelligence report Thursday, DHS warned of the risk of violence from those involved in or opposed to the “Justice for J6” rally, saying a “counter-rally is scheduled for the same day at Freedom Plaza in Washington, DC, increasing the potential for violence between perceived ideological opponents. “

Capitol Police are aware of three separate groups that could counter the protests on Saturday, Manger said on Friday, adding: “Two of the groups did not have much history of violence, one of them has already had clashes. “

DHS also warned of potential violence the day before the rally.

The department said an additional challenge for law enforcement is the likely use of encrypted or closed communication platforms by those seeking to commit violence.

What security measures will be put in place?

Officials have taken steps to ensure that there will be a significant security presence and that additional help will be on hold, unlike what happened before January 6.

CNN has learned that the DC Police will be fully activated on Saturday and the DC National Guard will be ready to provide assistance in an emergency, a source familiar with the security conversations surrounding the event told CNN.

U.S. Capitol Police reinstalled a new temporary fence around the Capitol complex on Wednesday evening ahead of the rally.

Fences had been erected around the Capitol following the January 6 riot, but were eventually reduced and removed over the summer.

Several road closures will be in effect around the Capitol and Constitution Avenue, with the possibility of additional intermittent closures, DC Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said on Friday.

In addition, Capitol Police said in a statement Monday that its board of directors had “issued a declaration of emergency, which will come into effect at the time of the protest and allow the department to replace outside agents from the forces of the United States. ‘Order as Special Officers of the United States Capitol Police “.

“We want to reassure everyone, these are temporary measures to ensure everyone’s safety,” Manger said in the statement. “We are extremely grateful for the support we continue to receive from the local community and our Congress stakeholders as we carry out our critical mission.”

The TSA is also beefing up security at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, telling travelers to expect to see more security guards and K-9s at the airport over the weekend.

What are lawmakers saying about security preparations?

After Manger briefed the four top congressional leaders on security preparations for the rally, House Speaking Nancy Pelosi told reporters the planning “looks a lot better.”

But Pelosi also noted that she had “nothing to compare, as we had not been informed before,” referring to the January 6 insurgency. “So it’s not like I can compare it to before but… I’m sure we’ll have continuous communication,” she added after leaving the briefing.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also said he believed the Capitol Police were “well prepared, thorough, professional, and I think they are better prepared than people were before. January 6 “.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Melanie Zanona, Jessica Schneider, Whitney Wild, Geneva Sands, Zachary Cohen, Pete Muntean, and Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.

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