Organizers of the the anti-vaccine 'Defeat the Mandates' rally in DC are nervous that it will 'get out of hand'

• At least 20,000 people are expected to attend the 'Defeat the Mandates' march in DC on Sunday.
• Law enforcement officials have beefed up security in preparation for the rally, per CNN.

Thousands of anti-vaccine mandate activists are expected to attend the "Defeat the Mandates: American Homecoming" rally on the National Mall in Washington, DC, on Sunday.

According to the organizers, more than 24,000 people have said they're going to the demonstration. It starts in the morning at the Washington Monument and ends in the afternoon at the Lincoln Memorial.

Law enforcement officials have already beefed up security for the large-scale protest, per CNN, due to fears that it could attract extremist groups.

And it appears that the event organizers themselves are also nervous that the event, which is intended to be peaceful, could escalate into chaos akin to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021.

A statement published Thursday said the "Defeat the Mandates" organizers are hiring private security to work in unison with law enforcement officials to make sure the event remains non-violent. It added that it does not welcome extremist groups on "any side" or anyone who provokes violence.

The organizers also provide detailed instructions to attendees on how to stop the demonstration from getting "out of hand," according to safety protocol guidance sent via Telegram and seen by Insider.

"We encourage everyone to be virtuous and peaceful and to de-escalate conflict," the guidance said.

"DO NOT ENGAGE" if anybody is "agitating" for violence, it continued, urging those marching to start video recording anybody trying to cause trouble.

The advice also warns those attending not to cross security barriers, to report anything suspicious, and to look for "ways to escape in case things get out of hand."

Insider reached out to the organizers, who offered to comment, but they did not reply in time for publication.

Guidance issued by the New York Freedom Rally, a group affiliated with the "Defeat the Mandates" organizers, also offered words of caution to those traveling to DC.

"The media will paint anyone doing sit-ins or other disruptive behavior as insurrectionists," said the post, which was shared on social media and recirculated by the DC organizers. "We are here to peacefully gather, march and stand for freedom, nothing more."

The trepidation that things could go awry is evident in online chatter from those attending too. In one Telegram group, a person wrote: "Unfortunately we are bound to have some people here trying to start trouble."