WASHINGTON — With Washington still on edge after the Jan. 6 insurrection, law enforcement bore down in large numbers on the Capitol over concerns that a rally in support of the jailed rioters would turn violent.
It didn’t. The crowd Saturday was sparse, incidents few.
The only clear parallels to the riots by supporters of Donald Trump were the false claims put forth by the rally organizers about the violence that January day when Congress met to certify the election of Joe Biden.
The low turnout also called into question whether such rallies will have any staying power as the organizers attempt to tap into the rage of Jan. 6 without the presence of the former president.