Small Pro-Trump Crowd Gathers At Minnesota Capitol
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — State Patrol officers stood in a line and guarded the steps of the Minnesota Capitol on Saturday, as roughly 100 supporters of President Donald Trump gathered to protest the results of the 2020 election.
The rally comes as tensions are high following Wednesday's storming of the U.S. Capitol by a mob of pro-Trump rioters.
Several people in Saturday's crowd in Minnesota held American flags or flags with Trump's name on them as they listened to speakers, who addressed the group as patriots. One reporter for Minnesota Public Radio News tweeted that some rally attendees were armed.
The rally, called "Stop the Steal," was billed as an event to "stop the tyranny." Speaker opposed the results of the presidential election and restrictions that Minnesota Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has put in place to try to curb the spread of COVID-19.
A similar event held Wednesday in Minnesota drew a larger crowd — with many at that rally cheering as they received word that rioters had breached the U.S. Capitol. That event, called "Storm the Capitol," was peaceful, and was followed by a protest outside the governor's mansion.
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