About 100 Trump supporters, Proud Boys rally against election results at Indiana Capitol

Corrections & Clarifications: This story has been updated to provide more context on Brien James. 

As supporters of President Donald Trump and Proud Boys clashed with police and stormed the Capitol in Washington, D.C., they also marched and chanted in downtown Indianapolis.

What began as a small group of locals that gathered early Wednesday outside the Indiana Statehouse for a "Stop The Steal" rally swelled to a crowd of more than 100 people from across the state by mid-day.

Like those in Washington, Hoosiers who demonstrated on the front steps of the Statehouse said they reject Joe Biden as president-elect and made disproven claims that the results in November were the product of widespread fraud. 

Live updates from D.C.:Pro-Trump protesters breach Capitol, forcing lockdown; one person shot

Gov. Holcomb on the D.C. insurrection:'We've been here before...But we're going to get through it.'

They also said they have no plans to stop fighting,  even after Biden is sworn in.

"I don't believe in the steal that Biden is trying to pull. I stand for the one president who has done more for this country than any president before him ... and I am not going to stand by and watch these things happen," said Jeremie Edwards, a 37-year-old Indianapolis native. 

As the local protest took place, President Donald Trump addressed a crowd of supporters near the White House and continued to make claims of a rigged election. When his speech ended, a group moved in on the U.S. Capitol, sparking an evacuation as lawmakers sought to debate and certify Biden's Electoral College win. 

The protesters in Indianapolis gathered around phones and tablets so they could listen to the president's remarks. They cheered along with the crowd in D.C. through their devices, and broke out into chants of "stop the steal" whenever activity lulled.

The crowd largely dispersed by 2 p.m., and only a handful of protesters stood on the Statehouse steps Wednesday afternoon.

Officials with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and the Indiana State Police told IndyStar Wednesday afternoon they are monitoring events in Washington but said they are not aware of any threats to the Indiana Statehouse.

At the protest's peak earlier in the day, people waved Trump, American and Gadsden flags at passing cars on North Capitol Avenue. Some motorists responded by honking their horns and waving back in support. 

The crowd had settled around 60 people about noon when an influx of new supporters arrived in the form of the Indianapolis chapter of the Proud Boys.

Called the Brick City Proud Boys, the group marched in chanting "stop the steal" and pushed the number of people at the protest into the triple digits.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has classed the Proud Boys as a hate group. Those in attendance Wednesday denied that label.

Proud Boys member Brien James, Indianapolis, said the group was focused on supporting the other protesters while protecting their right to free speech.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, James follows a racist skinhead ideology and is one of the founders of the Vinlanders Social Club. Formed in 2003, the club developed a reputation for "drinking, brawling and following a racist version of Odinism, a form of ancient paganism once practiced by Vikings."

James is accused of being involved in a number of racist attacks, playing a role in feuds among rival skinhead groups and boasting about having a Joint Terrorism Task Force file on him that is “a mile long," according to the SPLC.

When asked how the Brick City Proud Boys would respond if Biden is sworn in as the next president, James said they would follow Trump's lead, and they have no indication of what direction the outgoing president might provide.

"Right now he's following every constitutional and legal process to try and get justice for himself and we're just waiting to see how that pans out," he said.

Also present at Wednesday's rally was the Indiana chapter of BLEXIT, a group founded by Candace Owens and Brandon Tatum. The group describes its focus as encouraging Black voters and other voters of color to abandon the Democratic Party, and break the narrative that minority groups should support left-leaning candidates.

Joshua Phillips of Indianapolis, state director of Indiana BLEXIT, said the local chapter was established in October.

Phillips, who is white, said his group wants to raise awareness for what he is seeing as the emergence "two different Americas." He made claims of information being suppressed by the media, and wanted to make others aware of what he believes to be treasonous activity during the election.

Like others at the Indianapolis rally and Washington D.C., Phillips said he will continue to resist the incoming administration, but the next steps remain uncertain.

"I'm a pretty civil dude, but I know me and millions of Americans are not going to accept Joe Biden and Kamala Harris," he said.

IndyStar reporter Lawrence Andrea contributed to this report. Call IndyStar reporter Justin L. Mack at 317-444-6138. Follow him on Twitter: @justinlmack.