A vast crowd of far-right groups and Trump followers plan to descend on the nation’s capital Saturday among increased tensions over the presidential election outcomes.
What We Know:
- The mix of demonstrators rallying in downtown Washington, D.C., where they’ll be met with counterprotesters, creates fears that the events could turn destructive.
- According to various social media posts, multiple events with names including Million MAGA March, Stop the Steal, and March for Trump is set to happen at Freedom Plaza around noon Saturday. According to the Anti-Defamation League, there were at least 24 Facebook events using one or both terms as of Tuesday.
- Organizers are promoting the event as a way to object to “voter fraud,” to “show support for our President,” and “demanding a free and fair election,” according to the Anti-Defamation League. Trump has refused to acknowledge and leveled baseless accusations of voter fraud to insist the election was stolen from him.
- Muriel Bowser, D.C. Mayor, and the Metropolitan Police Department say they’re observing the events but would not give a crowd estimate. A leftist group plans at least one counter-protest.
- President Donald Trump tweeted Friday afternoon:
“Heartwarming to see all of the tremendous support out there, especially the organic Rallies that are springing up all over the country, including a big one on Saturday in D.C.” “I may even try to stop by and say hello. This Election was Rigged, from Dominion all the way up & down!”
- Nick Fuentes, who has a past of making anti-Semitic and racist remarks, has pushed the rally to his “Groyper Army”. In contrast, Stewart Rhodes, head of the anti-government militia group, the Oath Keepers, has said he will be in D.C. and that he has armed men standing by outside of the nation’s capital.
- Supporters of the QAnon conspiracy theorists who believe in the baseless allegation that Trump is working to expose a child-eating cabal of elites in the media and Democratic politics have also stated they will be joining the main rally.
- Saturday’s events are expected to attract a smattering of other right-wing figures, that includes Infowars’s Alex Jones, conspiracy theorist Mike Cernovich, conservative activist Scott Presler, and Andrew Anglin, founder of the neo-Nazi website Daily Stormer.
- The They/Them collective has planned a “F*ck MAGA” counter-protest at the Supreme Court when the Trump-focused rally is supposed to kick-off. At the same time, the local antifascist group All Out DC has programmed another demonstration nearby.
The risk of violence becomes more likely if the right-wing antagonists can provoke responses from counterprotesters. In addition to local police, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) has said the District would be keeping a close eye on planned activities.
