The Capitol Police note warns of possible violence during the Sept. 18 rally

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There has been a noticeable increase in violent rhetoric surrounding the event and there has been heated debate over Babbitt’s shooting on social media and discussion boards, according to the note. The document warns that many people may also see September 18 as a rally of “Justice for Ashli ​​Babbitt,” which may be a cause for concern, and it is not irrational to plan violent altercations. There have been additional discussions about the violence associated with the event, with an online chat suggesting violence against Jewish centers and liberal churches, while law enforcement is distracted that day.

Capitol police have formally asked the Capitol Police Board to put back temporary fencing around the complex before the rally, a source familiar with the planning told CNN. The Capitol Police Board will make the final call, but the recommendation will weigh heavily in its final decision.

A Capitol security source told CNN that the board would “probably” approve the request, but the temporary fencing footprint is expected to be smaller than the previous fencing and traffic will not be obstructed.

Capitol police are also “working with police partners in the Capitol region and other law enforcement agencies,” a congressional source said, while the Metropolitan Police Department is scheduled to be fully activated this weekend.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has invited Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to a briefing security at his office Monday morning with U.S. Capitol Police Chief Tom Manger to discuss security preparations for the rally, according to a family source. Top Democratic and Republican lawmakers on the House Administration Committee are also expected to receive separate security briefings in the coming days, another source said.

During his weekly press conference on Wednesday, Pelosi declined to go into details about what security measures will be in place that day, but told reporters, “We intend the integrity of the Capitol to be intact.”

With concerns looming over Capitol Hill over the rally – and the community is ready for multiple deadly incidents and a bomb blast this year – former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe has warned that law enforcement must take the concentration “very seriously.”

“I think they should take it very seriously. In fact, they should take it more seriously than they took the same kind of intelligence they probably saw on Jan. 5,” said McCabe, a CNN contributor. , to CNN’s Poppy Harlow on “Erin Burnett OutFront” earlier this week.

Matt Braynard, the main organizer of the rally, said there would be no violence from his group and the event would be peaceful. Braynard also tweeted Wednesday that all members of Congress could speak at the rally.

“This is a completely peaceful protest,” he said in a Skype interview with CNN’s Jessica Schneider. “And we’ve told people that when they come, we don’t want to see any message about the election, we don’t want to see any message on t-shirts and flags or signs about candidates or anything like that.”

About 500 people have indicated that they plan to attend, although the note notes that recent events organized by the same group, Look Ahead America, were significantly lower than expected and were peaceful. The rally also takes place on a Saturday while the U.S. House of Representatives is in recess and there have been no notable increases in hotel bookings this weekend, according to the note.

The new Capitol police chief says it would be
At least one Proud Boy leader has encouraged fans across the country to show up, though others online have discouraged attendance and warned it could be a fake flag operation designed to catch fans. Meanwhile, “White Lives Matter” announces global rally commercials for Sept. 18 and has backed the Jan. 6 online uprisings, but has no DC chapter. There have also been multiple cases of use of white supremacy images in online chats about concentration, the note notes.
The organizer of the event, a former member of the Trump campaign, has not released any speaker training. The note says nine members of Congress have been invited to attend, though all but three have declined the invitation. The three – Republican Party representatives Matt Gaetz of Florida, Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina – had not yet said whether or not they would attend. Babbitt’s lawyer was also invited to speak.

U.S. Capitol police said they cannot discuss security plans or briefings, but said the department is closely monitoring the rally and plans accordingly.

“After Jan. 6, we made changes to the entire department in the way we collect and share intelligence internally and externally,” Manger said in a statement. “I’m sure the work we’re doing now will make our officers have what they need to protect everyone.”

This story has been updated with additional news Wednesday.

CNN’s Ryan Nobles, Katie Bo Williams and Zachary Cohen contributed to this report.

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