Natick Woman Charged In Jan. 6 Riot Helped Plan Rowdy Vax Protest

NATICK, MA — A Natick woman charged in connection to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol helped plan a weekend demonstration in Boston over vaccine mandates that turned violent.

Sue Ianni, an elected Town Meeting member, posted an article on Natick Patch Wednesday about the “Rise Against Tyranny” march on Sunday. In it, Ianni identifies herself as the operations director for the alt-right group Super Happy Fun America (SHFA) — also the group behind the 2019 “Straight Pride Parade” rally in Boston.

During the Nov. 7 rally, counterprotesters and participants in the SHFA event began fighting after barriers separating the two sides were knocked over. At least one person in the melee used pepper spray, Boston police said. No one was injured, but police arrested two people. One of those arrested was Ronald McCarron, of Wakefield, who is accused of driving his van into a police barricade, according to the Boston Globe, because he feared counterprotesters.

“Antifa black bloc punched and clubbed vulnerable civilians,” Ianni wrote in her description of Sunday's clash. “They sprayed caustic chemicals into their eyes and threw metal chairs at them. The assaults were sustained and obviously coordinated.”

In January, Ianni and other SHFA members rented buses to transport local residents to Washington to attend Donald Trump's "Stop the Steal" rally. Later that day, Ianni and SHFA vice president Mark Sahady were photographed inside the Capitol. They were both arrested by the FBI days after the riot.

According to court records, Ianni is facing three misdemeanor charges from Jan. 6: entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; and violent entry and disorderly conduction on Capitol grounds. She has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Asked if she was worried her involvement in another raucous political event might have legal ramifications, she said “Nope” in an email. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In some cases, protesters charged in connection to violent demonstrations have been banned from attending similar events.

In June 2020, Vincent Eovacious was arrested at a protest in Worcester after he was spotted holding suspected Molotov cocktails. He was placed under house arrest after he was charged in federal court. After Jan. 6, Washington, D.C., banned purported Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio from setting foot in the city. Two Connecticut residents charged in connection to the Jan. 6 riot were also banned from the District of Columbia, according to reports.

Since the riot, federal prosecutors have charged 675 people for crimes ranging from assault on a police officer to trespassing. On Wednesday, a New Jersey man was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison for assaulting a police officer on Jan. 6.

Ianni's case is still moving through the court system. Her next hearing date is Nov. 30.