Haley Brown
Dozens of people gathered on the steps of Florida’s old Capitol building Saturday afternoon to call for the release of people arrested for the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Florida has the distinction of being the state with the most individuals charged in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Those milling about Florida’s Capitol grounds Saturday included members of the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, two far-right groups labeled by the FBI as extremists.
Attendees chanted “let them go” and held signs calling for the release of “political prisoners.”
The ‘Free Our Patriots Rally in Tally‘ was announced in a tweet by Luis Miguel, a far-right Republican who is looking to primary Sen. Marco Rubio. Miguel tweeted the purpose of the rally was to call on elected officials “to fight for the release of these American patriots.”
At the rally, the emcee accidentally closed out the speaking portion of the event before being reminded that Miguel had not yet spoken at the rally Miguel organized.
“They’re not insurrectionists like they say. They’re not traitors. They’re not terrorists. I’ll tell you what they are; they are heroes. Every single one of them is a hero,” Miguel said, speaking about the people who have been arrested after the attack that resulted in five deaths.
Miguel referred to those attending Saturday’s rally and those who were at the Jan. 6 attack as “patriots.”
“Any single one of those men who are in a jail cell right now could have been us,” Miguel said.
The gift shop manager in Florida’s old Capitol building told a reporter she stopped in to check on her employee working the gift shop Saturday because she was worried about her. The gift shop manager said Capitol police had also been by to check on the gift shop employee.
Tampa Republican Christine Quinn attended the rally. Quinn has run for Congress twice but never won.
More than 535 people have been arrested for the Jan. 6 attack, which amounted to an unsuccessful attempt to stop Congress from certifying Democrat Joe Biden‘s November election victory over then-President Donald Trump.
Sixty-two of the people arrested in the aftermath of the attack are from Florida.
Charges against Floridians for the Jan. 6 riot include assaulting an officer using a dangerous weapon, conspiracy, aiding and abetting the theft of government property, civil disorder, violent entry, obstruction of an official proceeding, and entering and remaining in a restricted building, among other charges.
18 comments
Edward Lyle
July 10, 2021 at 4:55 pm
“Americans Gather at the Florida Capital to Demand the Release of Political Prisoners Held by the DC DemoKKKrats”
… there, I fixed it for ya
Michael Hoffmann
July 10, 2021 at 10:39 pm
Fred Trump, the father of your Beloved Leader DJT, was arrested in 1927, wearing a hood, when a march of over 1000 KKKoneheads through Queens turned violent.
Oh, but you don’t like the police much either when it comes to insurrection.
Jmjtusa
July 10, 2021 at 6:29 pm
OPINION: This article contains commentary which reflects the author’s opinion…
Should be the moniker in most, if not all of Florida (Biased & B*llsh*t) Pokitics postings..
Ron Ogden
July 10, 2021 at 7:11 pm
“At the rally the emcee accidentally closed out the speaking portion of the event before being reminded that Miguel had not yet spoken at the rally Miguel organized”
This gratuitous bit of snark shows that Ms. Brown enjoys taking full advantage of a chance to signal her virtue. Such is the stuff of youth in possession of a megaphone, and in this way she sounds rather like the people on whom she is reporting. I hope someone tells her that it is NOT the stuff of mature reflection.
Rick Rodriguez
July 10, 2021 at 7:57 pm
These people are insurrectionist. They betrayed our Democracy and defiled our capital. They are nothing more than terrorist and Ike all terrorist they believe they are heroes,they are not.
Ron Ogden
July 10, 2021 at 8:53 pm
If will say to you and Tom, If it had not been for the insurrectionists of Lexington and Concord, America would not exist. There were loyalists like you here at the time. Many of them are now called “Canadians”.
Ocean Joe
July 10, 2021 at 9:42 pm
Wow. First of all, the uprising of Lexington was in opposition to the King of England, and those who stood with the king were the Tories, the forerunners of today’s conservatives both in the US and Britain. The new nation that was formed is one to which Rick and Tom and most of us remain loyal, whether our choice for president wins or not. What is wrong with you?
What was done on Jan 6 by white trash strung out on right wing election conspiracies (it’s July and still no evidence) or by antifa (you must not believe that anymore if you would take up for these folks), is nothing short of treason, they have been undercharged and unfortunately a bunch of liberal judges will go soft on them, including the shaman who has to have organic food.
Argue about red or blue stuff, immigration, inflation, but to come on here and defend these idiots is to wish for the destruction of our country. They are not Republicans, they are criminals. And the bloated ringleader should have been arrested before the sun went down.
Fred Bril
July 11, 2021 at 3:11 pm
It takes a special kind of disillusion to compare 1776 with the criminal terrorist acts of January 6th. We are a country of laws. There were legal pathways to protest the perceived fraud. TRAITORS couldn’t prove their case in court so tgey take to violence? SORRY. It dosxnt work that way. These people care criminals, terrorists and traitors for trying to stop the legal processes of Congress.
tjb
July 12, 2021 at 7:46 am
Ron, were you the one who murdered the police officer at the Capitol on Jan 6th?
Tom Palmer
July 10, 2021 at 8:27 pm
These people are traitors.
Johny Reb
July 10, 2021 at 9:37 pm
Great job today my fellow American Patriots Deo Vindice
Finx
July 11, 2021 at 12:39 am
Bunch of idiots didn’t get their way.
Phil Morton
July 11, 2021 at 6:00 am
The insurrectionist should be arrested, tried and sentenced to the appropriate prison term. Those who provide “aid or comfort” to the insurrectionist should face the applicable consequences.
Fred Bril
July 11, 2021 at 3:12 pm
It takes a special kind of disillusion to compare 1776 with the criminal terrorist acts of January 6th. We are a country of laws. There were legal pathways to protest the perceived fraud. TRAITORS couldn’t prove their case in court so tgey take to violence? SORRY. It dosxnt work that way. These people care criminals, terrorists and traitors for trying to stop the legal processes of Congress.
Sonja Fitch
July 11, 2021 at 3:58 pm
Lock em up! Keep em locked up! Traitors every damn one. Lock up traitor trump and his gang of domestic terrorist . These folks are not Republicans or Democrats. These folks are lousy whiny loser racists.
Sam Harris
July 11, 2021 at 7:45 pm
Should hang all the traitorous insurrectionist!
PeterH
July 12, 2021 at 1:51 pm
These insurrectionist had a coup in mind. Beating policemen with American flags is what occurred and won’t be soon forgotten. The events of January 6th were the culmination of the worst presidential administration in my lifetime…… and I thought Reagan, Bush2 and Nixon had cornered criminal acts!
I will never again vote for a Republican! Join fellow conservatives at the Lincoln Project!
Bill
July 12, 2021 at 4:27 pm
Couldn’t agree more!
Comments are closed.