Supporters Retrace Jan. 6 Route Near Capitol - Clashes and Arrest Reported

Dozens of people walked from the Ellipse down Constitution Avenue to the west side of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2026, retracing paths taken during the 2021 breach and staging a ceremony they described as a memorial to Ashli Babbitt. Attendance was variously described as a few dozen to roughly 100 participants, who gathered to lay flowers, listen to remarks and display signs that revived contested narratives about the events five years earlier.

Micki Witthoeft, identified as Babbitt’s mother and one of the rally organizers, laid flowers at the Capitol and addressed the crowd, saying, “It’s a day Congress let us down and continues to let us down.” Other attendees included people who had been prosecuted in connection with the 2021 attack and later pardoned by President Donald Trump, as well as figures associated with the Proud Boys. Enrique Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader linked to promotion of the event, said, “I think some arrests were warranted, but I think 95% of the crowd was very peaceful ... Most were walking out. They didn't touch anything, break anything.” Al Holt, who said he came to honor Babbitt, told the group he had come “to pay tribute to Ashli Babbitt, U.S. Air Force veteran, who was gunned down in cold blood inside the Capitol Building on Jan. 6.”

Participants waved American flags and carried signs reading phrases such as “J6 was an inside job,” “Thanks for our pardons, Trump,” and “J6 was a setup. Arrest Pelosi.” Organizers and many attendees characterized the gathering as peaceful, but the demonstration prompted confrontations with counter‑protesters as portions of the crowd dispersed. Scuffles were reported on the Capitol grounds, and at least one arrest was made in connection with those clashes. Some marchers followed and heckled a Metropolitan Police Department officer they alleged had used force against a rioter, leading to heightened tensions during the dispersal.

The event underscored persistent, competing narratives about Jan. 6 and the unresolved civic questions that remain five years on. There was no official bipartisan memorial for the anniversary, and a plaque intended to honor the officers who defended the Capitol has not been installed, highlighting institutional choices about how the day is remembered. The presence of pardoned defendants and militant organizational figures at a public march raises questions about the boundaries between legal accountability and political rehabilitation that will reverberate in courts, in Congress and at the ballot box.

City and federal law enforcement responses to the demonstration were limited to on‑site interventions and at least one arrest; authorities have not released detailed charge information publicly. The episode demonstrates how anniversaries of political violence can revive contested claims, test crowd‑management strategies and influence civic engagement by reinforcing divergent interpretations of responsibility and legitimate protest. As policymakers and law enforcement consider how to mark and police future anniversaries, observers say clarity on arrests and official commemorations will be central to restoring public confidence in institutions tasked with both security and memory.