Look Ahead America, a group led by Matthew Braynard, a former Trump campaign staffer, has advertised a "Justice for J6" rally to be held on September 18, 2021, in Washington, D.C. The purpose of the rally is to support "political prisoners" who were arrested during the January 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The group has planned 13 smaller rallies in state capitols across the country, all of which will also take place on September 18. Look Ahead America has previously held two rallies in Washington, neither one well attended or highly publicized.[i]
Across social media, white supremacists, fascists, and QAnon adherents have commented on the rally, with the overwhelming majority stating that they will not participate, calling the rally a setup or potential "false flag" event, and urging others not to attend.
The following reactions are taken from posts on Telegram, 4chan, Patriots.win, MeWe, and Twitter.
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Prominent Members Of Extremist Movements Discourage Supporters From Attending Rally
Social media accounts run by prominent racially motivated extremists, fascists, and conspiracy theorists have commented on the rally, warning their supporters not to attend and claiming that it is being set up by law enforcement agencies and will lead to more mass arrests, like the January 6 riot. A variety of social media accounts linked to one influential white supremacist group have explicitly stated they will not be attending and called the event a "false flag." On September 3, a related Telegram channel posted an article that discusses the group's decision not to attend the rally and commented: "We will not be attending this guaranteed disaster."
Several "influencers" in the QAnon community have also posted about the upcoming rally, discouraging their followers from attending. On September 14, a celebrity defense lawyer and QAnon supporter urged his readers not to attend, writing: "I do not think the September 18 rally in D.C. is a good idea. The chances of a 'false flag' are too great."
Some Users Online Suggest They Will Attend: "It's A Psyop To Silence The Majority, Show Up, Be There"
While the vast majority of users commenting on the event stated that they would not go, some were supportive of the event and attempted to convince others why it was important to attend. One Telegram user wrote: "I'm definitely considering going to the 'Justice for J6' rally. If I don't do anything stupid I should be fine right?!"
Violent Extremists Make Threats Online Related To The September 18 Rally: "Hey Feds – Come Get Some Lead"
A small number of commenters have made threats regarding the rally, calling the government corrupt and suggesting they would carry out violence at the event. In a group's chat, a user commented on a story about the rally, writing: "Hey Feds – come get some lead."
In the comments section of a post, another user wrote: "I wanna fight the fedz so bad..."
Another added: "I don't think peace is gonna stop this evil. God gave us the tools to defeat them."
Commenting on a post on Telegram by a QAnon leader, some users suggested that violence is necessary. One wrote: "Protests don't do a damn thing. Different tactics are needed. It's time to get serious."
Another added: "Violence? Up to them, not us. But it will not be answered with obsequiousness this time."
In a chat on the platform MeWe, several individuals had differing opinions on whether the rally was a government setup. A user wrote: "It's a communist set up just like January 6." Another wrote: "I would steer clear of all of these rallys... they are all infiltrated by FBI instigators for the sole purpose of giving those in power more reason to illegally imprison patriots for practicing their first amendment rights." A user replied: "I disagree. If a Trump size crowd showed up at the Capitol, armed to the teeth, it would send a very strong message."
[1] Lookaheadamerica.org/rally, accessed September 16, 2021.
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