Heavy police presence as a few hundred protesters trickle in for rally at U.S. Capitol

In a city still on edge after the January 6 insurrection, law enforcement bore down in large numbers on the Capitol on Saturday over concerns that a rally in support of the jailed rioters would turn violent. It didn't.

The crowd was sparse and incidents were few. Between 400 and 500 demonstrators turned out for the event, U.S. Capitol Police confirmed — far fewer than the 700 officials initially expected. The only clear parallels to the riots more than eight months ago by supporters of former President 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 January 6 without the presence of the former president.