The Cobb Republican Party has cancelled a candlelight prayer vigil scheduled at its Marietta headquarters for Thursday.
That’s the first anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump as members of Congress were certifying results of the 2020 presidential election.
In a brief statement, the Cobb GOP said it was calling off the vigil, which was to have included a livestream of a press conference held by Trump, “due to the mischaracterization of the event . . . “and the ensuing concerns of safety of those in attendance.”
Earlier this week press reports revealed that the Cobb GOP had scheduled a “Celebrate Freedom” event to start at 5 p.m. Thursday at its Roswell Street offices that included a prayer vigil to commemorate the Jan. 6 events.
Trump also has cancelled his press conference.
A woman protestor was shot and killed during the siege, and four others, all police officers responding to the rampage, later died, including some by suicide.
More than 700 people have been charged for participating in the attack, including more than a dozen from Georgia.
The Cobb GOP statement Wednesday also said those who were planning to attend the Thursday event were “encouraged to pray for those families who suffered the loss of a loved one, along with the pre-trial prisoners held in DC prisons in inhumane conditions in thoughtful prayer.”
The party also took down a social media posting on Tuesday from chairwoman Salleigh Grubbs, who said the intent of the event was to “acknowledge the Americans who lost their lives and to pray for those who have been denied justice.”
They were, she said in reference to those arrested for the attacks, being denied their Constitutional rights as criminal defendants.
“To those who have cast quick judgement concerning this event, under no uncertain terms are we condoning any form of violence nor the glorification of what happened at the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.”
Her message concluded by saying that “it is unfortunate that so many have issues with prayer. Everyone should be concerned when our Constitutional rights are being abused.”
Former Cobb GOP chairman Jason Shepherd was critical of the event, saying it was sending the “wrong message” as the party is struggling to believe in certain “core values” and “principles” or “are we simply following one person?”
In a social media posting, State Rep. Teri Anulewicz, a Cobb Democrat, referred to the Cobb GOP event as an “homage to treason.”
The Cobb COP statement Wednesday ended by saying that “it is our fervent hope that all those who committed unlawful acts against our Nation’s Capital are brought to swift justice.”
The vigil was to have taken place several hours after a memorial service to late former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson in Atlanta.
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“it is unfortunate that so many have issues with prayer” is the same they said about folks showing up at their Cobb GOP Delk Road Bridge anti Biden event last summer staged under cover of praying for our fallen soldiers. Those who support terrorists (as Ted Cruz calls them) should be condemned as terrorist sympathizers.