Ryan, DeLauro Praise Security Preparations for ‘Justice for J6’ Rally

WASHINGTON – U.S. Reps. Tim Ryan and Rosa DeLauro said they were pleased following a briefing by Capitol Police on preparations for Saturday’s “Justice for J6” Rally.

The rally is in support of individuals arrested for their involvement in the Jan. 6 riot and breaching of the U.S. Capitol, when both houses of Congress were meeting to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. The event has raised security concerns in recent weeks based on reports of violent online rhetoric.

The rally is being hosted by Matthew Braynard, a onetime campaign aide to former President Donald Trump, whose rhetoric and insistence that the 2020 election was stolen from him inflamed many of his supporters, leading to the events of the Jan. 6 breach.

DeLauro, D-3 Conn., is chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee. Ryan, D-13 Ohio, is chairman of Appropriations’ legislative branch subcommittee. Both were among congressional leaders briefed Monday by Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger and House Sergeant at Arms William Walker on security preparations for the Sept. 18 rally.

Plans include erection of a security fence around the Capitol.

“Given the violent tendencies of the right-wing extremists who plan to attend, it is obvious that this rally poses a threat to the Capitol, those who work here, and the law enforcement officers charged with protecting our democracy,” Ryan and DeLauro said in a joint statement released following the meeting.  
 
“We are pleased that the Capitol Police, in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, appear to have developed a clear plan – based on careful intelligence analysis – to maintain order and protect public safety,” they continued. “The temporary installation of fencing around the Capitol is an important part of this plan, and one that we support.”

In response to the Jan. 6 riot, Appropriations provided funding to bolster the Capitol Police, provide the resources they need, and make clear to them they respect the work they do, the representatives said.

Pictured: In this Jan. 6, 2021, file photo, insurrections loyal to President Donald Trump try to break through a police barrier at the Capitol in Washington. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.