In the wake of Wednesday’s Capitol revolt, Trump supporters with extremist views are encouraged and promise to return to Washington for President-elect Joe Biden’s next inauguration on January 20, using online platforms to come together.
“Many of us will return on January 19, 2021, carrying our weapons, in support of the determination of our nation, for which [sic] the world will never forget !!! We will arrive at numbers that no army or police agency can match, ”wrote a popular Parler user who frequently posts about QAnon and is being monitored by the Anti-Defamation League.
Parler, Telegram chat rooms and TheDonald.win platform were used to plan and coordinate the January 6 rally that turned into a riot. Posters explicitly stated their intentions to “occupy” the Capitol. QAnon conspiracy theorists and people associated with militia groups had a visible presence in Wednesday’s crowd.
“Round 2 on January 20. This time, without mercy. I don’t even care about keeping Trump in power. I care about the war, ”an anonymous person posted on TheDonald.win platform, which is full of comments posted by people who praised those who protested on Wednesday as“ heroes ”.
Police are struggling to identify those who broke into the Capitol building and are concerned about the inauguration as another target.
“There is a growing concern that violent extremists will be encouraged by the violation of the Capitol, which means that time is passing to bring down the most influential incitements of violence before they act again,” said Frank Figliuzzi, former assistant director of the FBI and national NBC News security analyst.
Federal and local police have made dozens of arrests so far in connection with the violation of the Capitol on Wednesday and for violations of the curfew that followed.
The Secret Service, which is overseeing security for the opening, could not be reached for comment. The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, referred NBC News to the Secret Service.
According to the National Parks Service, which handles permit rallies in DC, there are seven First Amendment permit applications in progress that coincide with the inauguration date, one of which is clearly for Trump supporters.
Megan Squire, a computer science professor at Elon University and a senior researcher at the Southern Poverty Law Center that monitors extremism online, says she is concerned that, as President Donald Trump will not be in office, extremists will be focused on Biden.
“On January 6, his energy was turned to Congress. On the 20th your energy will be turned to Biden. This is worrying, especially since they have no remorse or shame. It doesn’t look great at the moment, ”she said.
Squire has collected pamphlets for up to 10 rallies planned for January 17, organized by members of the far-right militia movement that call themselves “Bugaloo oxen”. They emerged last year appearing at rallies calling for the protection of Second Amendment rights and the group has been on the police radar for anti-government activities.
What worries most is the excitement expressed online by the accelerationists, some of the most violent and radical in the white supremacy movement, who believe there is an impending racial war.
“Overall, the system’s energy suffered a major blow yesterday,” wrote a person in a Telegram chat room favored by accelerators.
“[Accelerationists] are in the clouds and talking about how to explore complaints. They are in these Telegram groups completely enthusiastic about this, ”said Squire.
Just because a new president will be sworn in, according to ADL President Jonathan Greenblatt, does not mean that pro-Trump extremists will be in the background.
“The conspiratorial and baseless narrative of a stolen election will continue to excite extremists for some time,” he said.
Laura Strickler, Michael Kosnar and Julia Ainsley contributed.