Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday approved 100 National Guard members to be deployed to assist Capitol Police during Saturday’s rally in Washington D.C. to raise awareness about the alleged treatment of some who were arrested after the Jan. 6 breach.
Pentagon spokesman Army Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell said Friday that the Guard members will be deployed from the D.C. National Guard and will be “stationed at the D.C. Armory as a Physical Security Task Force to augment law enforcement for the September 18th demonstration on Capitol Hill.”
It comes ahead of the “Justice for J6” rally, where demonstrators are slated to back those who were arrested after the Capitol breach.
Tall fencing was also again placed around the Capitol grounds. After Jan. 6, fencing was erected around Capitol Hill and remained intact for months.
National Guard members were also sent to the Capitol on Jan. 6 amid demonstrations and the breach, which occurred during the Joint Session of Congress that certified the election for President Joe Biden. Guard members were stationed around D.C. for months afterward.
Capitol Police, if they need assistance, will first get local, state, and federal law enforcement capabilities before the National Guard members are requested.