Stop the Steal protesters rally at Michigan Capitol in Lansing

LANSING, Mich. — Hundreds of protesters gathered on the Michigan Capitol lawn on Wednesday ahead of lawmakers meeting in Washington, D.C. to count and certify the states' electoral votes in the 2020 presidential election.

People waved American flags, Trump flags, and largely went without masks as worship music played and speakers took to the steps of the statehouse. Many held signs with messages such as “Stop the Steal,” “Election #s as Phony as Covid #s” and other sentiments calling out Michigan leaders on both sides of the aisle, include Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Attorney General Dana Nessel.

Their core message, though, was unclear.

“Take your mask off. It’s a bunch of crap,” said protester Deborah Marshall.

Another protester, who would only identify himself as "Rod," claimed Americans were losing their country to communists and that they can only get it back with "the Bible."

Law enforcement officers were present at the protest but largely stayed on the sidelines.

Though the counting and certification of electoral votes in the U.S. Congress is largely ceremonial, some Republican members of Congress, including two Michigan lawmakers, Rep. Jack Bergman and Rep. Tim Walberg, said they planned to object to the certification and demand an investigation into the presidential election.

Those members claim — without proof — there was widespread election and voter fraud perpetrated across the United States and that faith in the democratic process must be restored through an investigation of election proceedings.

President Donald Trump has put pressure in Vice President Mike Pence, as the head of the U.S. Senate, to “come through” for him in a final effort to change the results of the election. Pence does not have the authority to change the results of the election.

The crowds at the Statehouse left by 4 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021.

It is still legal to bring guns inside the State Capitol Building, which we saw in April when armed protesters entered the Capitol. In a few weeks, the Capitol Commission is meeting to discuss whether that should still be allowed.