A Reuters journalist who covers Congress tweeted about how a small group of protesters carrying American flags outside the Capitol building gave her anxiety over the riot on January 6, 2021.
Patricia Zengerle posted a picture of a small group of people with the 1776 Restoration Movement waving American flags. The crowd appeared to mainly consist of elderly people.
"Yikes. Just saw this gang walking around the Capitol and had a wave of #Jan6 anxiety," she tweeted.
Yikes. Just saw this gang walking around the Capitol and had a wave of #Jan6 anxiety. pic.twitter.com/Qn3htfpq8M
— Patricia Zengerle (@ReutersZengerle) July 20, 2022
The 1776 Restoration Movement is an off-shoot of the trucker convoy that traveled to Washington, D.C. earlier this year to protest the remaining COVID-19-related restrictions. Fox 5 reported the off-shoot now focuses on general government overreach.
"We're frustrated with government overreach, with inflation that's through the roof, with the stock market that's in the toilet, with diesel prices at $6 or $7 a gallon. And we're frustrated with the way in which our elected and appointed officials are conducting themselves consistently." group spokesman 'X-Ray' told Fox 5. "We're frustrated by the consistent and complete erosion of our freedoms here in the United States, and we're here to stand up for a smaller government and to try to turn that government back towards the founder's original intentions -- the constitutional republic."
Zengerle was widely mocked for her tweet by Twitter users.
They look like tough customers Patricia, stay safe. pic.twitter.com/khskwyn7Yz
— KSLawWolf (@KSLawWolf) July 20, 2022
Gangs sure have changed a lot. This is a group of senior citizens with flags.
— Audra Morris (@audracmorris) July 20, 2022
So sorry this is happening to you. Stay safe ????
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 20, 2022
Thank god you survived. https://t.co/aAXO0dHv9z
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) July 20, 2022