As the 117th Congress convened to certify the results of the election on Wednesday, Jan. 6, thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters hit the streets for a Save America March to, as Trump himself put it, “stop the stealing” of the November 2020 general election.
Addressing the crowd in front of the White House, Trump reiterated unfounded claims of election fraud to cheers from the crowd.
“They rigged it like they’ve never rigged it before,” Trump said.
Trump said he plans to keep fighting to “stop the stealing” of the election.
“We will never give up, we will never concede,” Trump said. “Our country has had enough and we will not take it anymore.”
Trump told supporters that the results of the election will come down to Vice President Pence’s decision to do “the right thing”. During the President’s speech, Pence issued a letter to Congress saying that he does not have the “unilateral authority to decide which electoral votes should be counted.”
In the District, the MPD announced six arrests on Tuesday as a result of illegal possession of weapons and clashes with the police.
MAGA and Proud Boys are fighting cops in DC tonight. pic.twitter.com/5I09Z6Nitg
— Joshua Potash (@JoshuaPotash) January 6, 2021
Additionally, Proud Boys Chairman Enrique Tarrico was arrested and banned from the District Monday after he claimed responsibility for burning a Black Lives Matter banners during another far-right protest last month.
In a statement Tuesday, Ward 6 Council Member Allen (D), who chairs the DC Council Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, issued a statement about the rallies planned emphasizing that DC council did not approve this activity.
“The permits issued and rallies planned are all on federal property,” Allen wrote. “The District has issued no permits for these events.”
This statement came shortly after the DC Council released a statement encouraging all DC residents to avoid the Downtown area while the first amendment activity takes place.
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“In similar recent events, white supremacists and militia groups have created conflict and provoked violence, creating harm for individuals and to our institutions,” Councilmembers wrote in a joint statement. “Votes have been certified and the demonstrations this week will not change the outcome of this election.”
Protests took place Wednesday at the Lincoln Memorial, locations on the National Mall and at the U.S. Capitol. DC residents are still encouraged to avoid the Downtown area until Thursday Jan. 7. You can learn more about the location of these demonstrations, parking restrictions and road closures here.
Sarah Payne is a History and Neuroscience student at The University of Michigan interning with HillRag. She writes for and serves as an assistant news editor for Michigan’s student newspaper, The Michigan Daily. You can reach her at sarahp@hillrag.com.
This story was published at 1:29 p.m., prior to the storming of the Capitol Building.
