The Set-Up

Wednesday, January 6, 2021, the weather was overcast with anticipated high of 34, winds to 14 mph.  Morning astronomical twilight was 6:27 am, although proper sunrise would not be until 7:55 am.  A cold, winter day, with just 10 hours of sunlight.

In this 2-part blog, I lay out some of the permits issued to groups and individuals that attracted people to Washington, D.C.  There are just enough FOIA documents available to consider the layer of protestors and counter-protestors, known, identified, named, going into that chilly morning.  The records are from the US Department of the Interior/National Park Service, the US Secret Service, the US Capitol Police, and the US Department of Homeland Security.

Will it surprise you to learn that names of more than 80 groups and individuals are listed in these estimated 2,500 pages?  The single largest was the permit event at the Ellipse, the “Save America Rally,” which estimated 30,000 attendees by end of day January 4. 

Will it surprise you to learn that five permits were issued by the US Capitol Police for events on Capitol grounds?  I think it absolutely would surprise the DC District Court Judges handling the many charged by DOJ after all these months of the DOJ attorneys arguing that hundreds were engaged in criminal trespass for putting their feet on those same blades of grass.

Today, a data dump in your direction to help you see the tip of what I’ve spent about three days reviewing and analyzing.  Short and sweet, but I want you to get the picture that an unprecedented number of people were summoned to get to the Capitol by 1 pm on January 6 as a deadline for democracy.  And come, they did, from every corner of this huge nation.

Let’s begin with the permits issued by the US Department of the Interior/National Park Service.

A.)  In a permit approved by the National Park Service, the group “Women for America First” had permission to begin set up on January 4 at the Ellipse for the “Save America Rally,” which was held January 6, 2021.  The group is headed by Amy Kremer.  The original permit was for 5,000 estimated attendees.  The morning of January 4, organizers amended the estimate to 20,000; by the end of the same day to 30,000.  The President agreed on December 30 to speak at the event; former NYC Mayor Rudi Giuliani, as well.  The President stepped onto the stage at noon.  The event was also called the “Save America March” and the “March for Trump.”

“Women for America First” promotes itself as having hosted rallies and marches on November 14, 2020 and December 12, 2020 – the dates of MAGA I and MAGA II.  On December 30, the National Park Service written recap states “You further indicated that you did not intend to march to the US Capitol.”

As an event promotion, “Women for America First” sponsored a red, shrink-wrapped bus that drove around the country, proclaiming “March for Trump” ahead of each of the rallies.  On December 27, the group launched another cross-country bus tour that culminated in Washington, D.C. for the January 6 rally.

Kremer and her daughter were both subpoenaed by the House Select Committee (dated September 29, 2021).

B.)  The “Go Right Rally” by Peter Boykin of MagaFirstNews.com/ GoRightNews.com was permitted for Columbus Circle in front of Union Station (near the Capitol) with an estimated crowd of 700 and including speakers. 

C.)  The day before, on January 5, nearby Freedom Plaza saw a rally organized under “Rally to Revival,” listing Cindy Chafian as the person in charge.  The “Eighty Percent Coalition” advertised the event and she listed herself as its founder.  She is also affiliated with “The Mommy Lobby.”  The list of speakers was long and estimated attendance went from 5,000 to 15,000.   The list of security for the event included 1A Praetorian.  The event was also called the “Great American Patriot Party Rally,” “Rally to Save America,” and “Rally to Revival.” Speakers included Ali Alexander and Alex Jones.

Chafian was also subpoenaed by the House Select Committee (dated September 29, 2021).

Back to January 6, let me now turn to those permits issued by US Capitol Police for the literal Capitol grounds, specifically.  Yes, you read this correctly:  permits issued by USCP, as recently as January 4, giving groups and individuals the right to engage on the Capitol grounds.  The permits were signed off by then Chief of Police Steven Sund and second-in-command Yogananda Pittman, who took his place as Acting Chief after he resigned. It was Pittman who testified to Congress and whose testimony I lay out in my book.

The approved USCP permits were as follows, and the locations surrounded the Capitol building on all sides:

1.)  Virginia Freedom Keepers/Marsha Lessard and Christina Skaggs permitted to begin set-up at 6 am for event on “Senate Park – Area 7 (bounded by Delaware Ave, NE; C-Street, NE; First Str, NE; and, D-Street, NE). {Permit approved by USCP on January 4. Referred to also as “Freedom Rally.”}

2.)  Women for a Great America/Andrea Lafferty permitted to begin set-up at 7 am for event on “House East Front – Grassy Area 10 (bounded by the South Mezzanine sidewalk; First Str, SE; Southeast Dr; and, East Front Plaza). {Permit approved form not included in document.}

3.)  “One Nation Under God” permitted to set-up at 8 am for event on “Grassy Area 8” (bounded by Constitution Ave, NE; First Str, NE; Northeast Drive; and, East Front Plaza), including “Stop the Steal” leaders Ali Alexander and Nathan Martin.  {Permit approved by USCP on December 30. Referred to also as “Wild Protest.”}

Alexander was subpoenaed by the House Select Committee.

4.)  Bryan Lewis permitted for set-up at 8:30 am for event on “Union Square - Grassy Area 9” (bounded by North Mezzanine sidewalk; First Str, NE; Northeast Dr.; and, East Front Plaza). {Permit approved by USCP on January 4.}

5.)  “Jesus Lives”/Josephine Reitkopp permitted to set-up at 9 am for event on “Grassy Area 15” (bounded by Pennsylvania Ave, NW; First Str, NW; Maryland Ave, SW; and, Third Str SW/NW). {Permit approved by USCP on December 31.}

In addition to the permits grated by the National Park Service and the US Capitol Police, the US Department of Homeland Security compiled a list, of sorts, that culled sources like Facebook event pages, and included many other groups targeting meet-ups, rallies, prayers, protests, and marches.  To give you some idea of how DHS viewed the day of January 6 on its morning communication, it included no less than 19 non-permitted events:

• New Jersey Patriots

• March on Congress

• Million MAGA March

• MAGA Rally Stop the Steal

• Southern MD Stop the Steal MAGA March

• Fight for Trump

• We the People Need Transparency

• Canton/Akron Protest

• Wild Protest for Donald Trump

• Fight for President Trump and Your Rights

• March for Trump

• Calling All Patriots

• Protest the Election

• Trump Rally

• The Silent Majority

• American Conservation

• Stop the Steal March

• Election Fraud and Electoral College Protest

• March Against Fascism

 Then, there is a US Secret Service “Protective Intelligence Brief:  March for Trump” dated January 4, and it looks to hashtags and to a website with car and motorcycle caravan list.  In drawing from the website, “Jan 6 DC Caravan Planning,” it says 47 events from all over the US, ending in Washington, D.C., beginning January 4.

The US Secret Service brief, most interestingly, includes a section on “Counter Demonstrations,” including “Shut Down DC,” “All Out DC,” and “Black Lives Matter DC.”  It also includes specific details on how counter-protestors are likely to engage, for example, that “Refuse Fascism” members are going to speak out during pro-Trump demonstrations, while “DC Protests” plans to form a bike line. 

Another notation lists six, separate groups intending to counter-demonstrate, specifically during Proud Boys and “Stop the Steal” demonstrations. 

It goes on to recap each group, including that “Refuse Fascism” 2017 demonstration near Trump Tower (NYC) “ended with arrests for disorderly conduct and failure to obey.” 

Another, the “DC Youth Liberation Front” in August 2020 resulted in “several arrests for damaging 30 vehicles, destroying two police cruisers, defacing government property, setting fires, and breaking windows.”

“All Out DC” protestors “were observed using fireworks, obstructing roads, and throwing debris at officers,” resulting in DC Metro Police using smoke to clear the area and arresting an individual for threats.

“Black Lives Matter” numerous demonstrations, including June 2020 one arrest “after gas cans and fireworks were observed inside a subject’s vehicle.

Two groups were noted for arrests for “possession of an imitation pistol and a BB gun” in 2020 demonstrations, specifically, “Shut Down DC” and “Black Lives Matter.”

While this list is not exhaustive, it is based upon pages released by DHS, USSS, DOI/NPS, and USCP.  These pages are now available as a combined result of newspapers and groups submitting FOIAs and the responses becoming publicly available. 

Wrap you heads around the raw data contained in this blog.  Next, I’ll share some talking points for us to discuss as Second Amendment advocates. I’m on the go-forward that our future includes rallies, festivals, and even permitted protests.  Use the First Amendment to protect the Second, and keep it between the lines when you do.