🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Protesters gathered outside the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C., on Friday for the two-year anniversary of the riots at the U.S. Capitol.
Reports said many people who arrived early appeared to be MAGA supporters of former President Donald Trump, but they were met by a vocal group of counterprotesters.
Videos and photos show a man dressed as Uncle Sam riding on a hoverboard among those who showed up to support the message of the original Stop the Steal protest of January 6, 2021. That event two years ago turned violent when the security at the Capitol was breached.
Roughly twenty MAGA protesters — including Uncle Sam on a hoverboard — have gathered outside the Supreme Court for the Jan 6 anniversary. pic.twitter.com/eIFimIxFT3
— Will Sommer (@willsommer) January 6, 2023
On Friday, counterprotesters with megaphones taunting the MAGA group were captured on videos posted on YouTube by Reuters and NowThis News.
"I thought you all back the blue [police]? What happened when you're punching them in the face and dragging them down the stairs and beating them with their batons?" one counterprotester wearing a "you lost" sign around her neck can be heard saying in NowThis News' video.

Five people died and more than 140 police officers suffered injuries when Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol two years ago while Congress was attempting to certify President Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.
According to a Thursday CNN report, U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) increased security details and online monitoring to prepare for Friday's protests. Civil disturbance units were said to be on standby for any protests that could occur on the Capitol grounds as well as at the Supreme Court.
On Monday, USCP Chief Tom Manger said in a statement that his department would be prepared for any potential attacks on government sites in the future.
"As we approach the second anniversary of one of the darkest days in our nation's history, we must answer this critical question, 'Could January 6 happen again?'" Manger said in the release.
He continued, "Today we are clearly better off than we were before the January 6 attack and that is due to the hard work and dedication of more than 2,000 USCP employees....With the polarized state of our nation, an attack like the one our Department endured on January 6, 2021, could be attempted again. Should the unthinkable happen, we will be ready."
In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson from the USCP confirmed that the department is prepared if the crowd at the protest becomes unruly.
"We are monitoring everything around the Capitol Complex, to include all the demonstrations, (like we always do) and we have enhanced operations just as an abundance of caution," the spokesperson said.
CBS News' Scott MacFarlane wrote on Twitter that what began as a small protest outside the Supreme Court on Friday morning grew when the counterprotesters arrived. He also observed a "growing police presence" on the scene.
Counter protestors "some chanting "Insurrectionist losers" and Jan 6 defendant supporters are getting into each others faces right now on East Front of Capitol. Growing police presence pic.twitter.com/R5JH8qeJ1Q
— Scott MacFarlane (@MacFarlaneNews) January 6, 2023
Will Sommer of The Daily Beast tweeted that the pro-January 6 protest had been "completely derailed" by the counterprotesters, including one person that he said appeared to "know the protest leaders well" by "reading off their criminal records and fraud accusations into a megaphone."
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Capitol Police for comment.
About the writer
Jon Jackson is a News Editor at Newsweek based in New York. His focus is on reporting on the Ukraine ... Read more