The first #JusticeforJ6 speaker after Braynard is screaming at the crowd, claiming the D.C. Jail is "force vaccinating people." This is not true. We've heard repeatedly in court that #CapitolRiot defendants have refused the vaccine.
She just led everyone in singing the Star Spangled Banner. Not a bad voice, to be honest. 
Next up is Cara Castronuova, a former Golden Glove boxer and trainer on "The Biggest Loser" who is now taking a turn as a right-wing activist. #JusticeforJ6
A woman who says she is the girlfriend of #CapitolRiot defendant Jonathan Mellis is now reading a letter in which an anonymous mother compares the treatment of January 6 defendants to Jews under Nazi Germany. #JusticeforJ6
Jeff Zink, presumably the father of #CapitolRiot defendant Ryan Zink, says he was at the Capitol on January 6, but that he condemned the "things that were not American." His son is not currently in pretrial detention. #JusticeforJ6
Zink says he provided video to the FBI of Hunter Emkhe destroying windows, and then claims erroneously the FBI didn't arrest him until August. Emkhe was arrested on January 13 and then released on home detention.
Castronuova says another woman who was supposed to speak today had her laptop "trashed by the FBI." This is apparently Guy Reffitt's wife. Reffitt is a reported Oath Keeper/Three Percenter who allegedly threatened his family if they spoke to the FBI about him. #JusticeforJ6
Castronuova just led an "Ashli Babbitt, Roseanne Boyland" chant. She complains Boyland -- another Trump/QAnon supporter who died at the Capitol on January 6 -- is not as well known. We reported at length about why that is here: wusa9.com/article/news/n… #CapitolRiot
Castronuova says she now considers herself "an investigative journalist." Now back to the death of Roseanne Boyland. The DC Coroner ruled she died of "acute amphetamine intoxication." Video from January 6 shows other Trump supporters trampling her. wusa9.com/article/news/n…
Cara Castronuova says she is "Chinese and Italian... I voted for Barack Obama twice. I voted for Clinton. And then I voted for Trump." #JusticeforJ6
Castronuova says she has video showing unnamed police officers beating Roseanne Boyland. This video here shows the steps where Boyland fell and was trampled by other rioters. #CapitolRiot @wusa9
Some political candidates who'd like a Trump-bump for their campaigns are going to speak now. Not inclined to indulge that.
Georgia Congressional Candidate Mike Collins says he demands all January 6 defendants be tried immediately. The majority of defendants themselves don't want that, though, as they are still examining mountains of evidence. #JusticeforJ6 #CapitolRiot
Joe Kent, a Republican Congressional candidate in Washington state, says when he was serving in Iraq the military arrested people and held them without due process. "But we don't do that here," he says. An odd argument. #JusticeforJ6
Braynard is showing a picture of "QAnon Shaman" Jacob Chansley, saying he has been held w/o being convicted. He has, in fact, pleaded guilty. Braynard also says Chansley's mother -- who believes Trump is going to be reinstated -- was going to speak today but was "intimidated."
Braynard is now comparing the #CapitolRiot with previous protests at other hearings like the Kavanaugh confirmation. Difference should be obvious: the Kavanaugh confirmation was not stopped. The chamber was not evacuated.
Braynard says "we're not booing our press. They're our friends today."
Braynard's speech is just a litany of false equivalencies, strawman arguments and misrepresentations of facts.
Braynard says media should be pushing for #CapitolRiot videos to be released. We have been, aggressively. A coalition of newsrooms has been petitioning the court since January and has won release of hours and hours of video so far. For example, this one: wusa9.com/article/news/n…
Braynard has just compared the #JusticeforJ6 rally to MLK and Ghandi.
Braynard is just riffing on right-wing talking points at this point. Election fraud. CRT. Etc.
This isn't really important, but Braynard claimed earlier that most FOIA requests are filed by journalists. Not even close to true. Most FOIA requests are filed by corporate lawyers and big law firms engaged in litigation with the government.
Braynard tells the crowd that "D.C. is a historically dangerous" place. Warns them to leave in groups. Then says they should remember who told them the rally was a false flag and "never trust them again." And that's it. #JusticeforJ6
Going to write up a quick story and then go find something decidedly less riot-related to do for the rest of my birthday.
Today's rally was a warmed-over rehashing of the same lies and grievances we've heard repeatedly since January 6 — one not even the most revisionist House Republicans wanted to touch. #CapitolRiot #JusticeforJ6Rally @wusa9 wusa9.com/article/news/n…
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
