Lawmakers and law enforcement officials are increasingly worried about upcoming rallies to support jailed insurrectionists and to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
Sources told CNN that discussions were underway to reinstall temporary fencing around the U.S. Capitol's perimeter ahead of the "Justice for J6" rally planned for Sept. 18, and a Capitol police memo warned "violent altercations" may be possible, and a Homeland Security bulletin showed heightened terrorism risks around the 9/11 anniversary.
"It's a scary week," said one former intelligence officer. "It's a week from hell for DHS, for the ATF, for the FBI, for DOD and for the intelligence community."
A bomb scare last week reminded those who work on Capitol Hill of the ongoing threat posed by the Jan. 6 insurrection, although Republicans downplayed those risks and questioned the need for additional fortification.
"This fence is not a quick reaction tool," said Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL). "It takes days to assemble and remove, costs taxpayers millions, requires additional USCP resources that are already strained and makes campus access more difficult for staff. Democrats should stop playing political games with the select committee and start working with us to implement permanent solutions we know are needed to secure the Capitol."
The report didn't specify what permanent solutions Davis preferred, but he recently said more police officers and better intelligence were needed to keep the Capitol safe, and downplayed the risks from coordinated attacks and pointed instead to lone-wolf attackers like the gunman who opened fire on lawmakers during a 2017 congressional baseball game.
"That gunman was inspired by the rhetoric coming from people like Bernie Sanders and Nancy Pelosi about Republicans killing people with our policies," Davis told NPR this week. "I want it to stop all around. Rhetoric does have influence on those who are obviously deranged, and there are a lot of people that are deranged by politics right now."
The "Justice for J6" rally is organized by former Trump campaign staffer Matt Braynard on a Saturday where the House will be on recess, and it's not clear whether any lawmakers will take part in the even, although several Republicans have expressed support for the jailed insurrectionists.
"I'm not sure I'll be able to make [the rally], but we know that there were people that were arrested for Jan. 6 activities, and they have been so badly mistreated," said Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX). "So we haven't given up."
The Metropolitan Police Department will be fully activated that day and Civil Disturbance Units will be on standby, and officers have been monitoring online chatter and travel bookings to determine how many people may attend.
