WASHINGTON, D.C. – Protests are being planned for Jan. 6 in support of President Donald Trump and his continued attempts to overturn the election results.
Trump tweeted Friday that “The BIG Protest Rally” will take place in Washington D.C. starting at 11 a.m. EST on Wednesday, the day Congress will convene to certify the Electoral College votes and solidify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Trump has continued to spread his false claims that the presidential election was stolen from him, alleging mass voter fraud without providing proof. Nearly all of his legal actions attempting to sway the results have failed.
The BIG Protest Rally in Washington, D.C., will take place at 11.00 A.M. on January 6th. Locational details to follow. StopTheSteal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 1, 2021
The Washington Post reports that four different rallies are scheduled so far, and they’ll reportedly be headlined by some of Trump’s most fervent supporters, like George Papadopoulous and Roger Stone, who were recently pardoned by the president.
According to USA Today, federal and local law enforcement are bracing for the protests, which The Post says could turn violent. In online chats, the newspaper reports supporters have described smuggling guns into D.C. and setting up a possible “army encampment.”
Several different far-right groups have said they will attend these demonstrations, including the Proud Boys and white supremacist organizations, The Post reports.
The effort to overturn the Electoral College votes is far-fetched though.
Congress will likely vote on the matter, since GOP lawmakers in both the House and Senate plan to object to the certification. However, both chambers must agree, which is unlikely to happen, since the House is controlled by the Democrats and multiple Republicans in the Senate have acknowledged Biden’s win.
