U.S. state capitals brace for violent protests as crowds remain thin

Listen to this article:

Supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump protest against the election of President-elect Joe Biden, outside the Minnesota State Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S. January 17, 2021. REUTERS/Eric Miller REFILE – CORRECTING CITY

HARRISBURG, Pa./LANSING, Mich. (Reuters) – Law enforcement officers were out in force at state capitol grounds across the United States on Sunday in preparation for protests that so far have drawn only a small number of Trump supporters who believe the president’s false claim that the 2020 election was rigged.

More than a dozen states have activated National Guard troops to help secure their capitol buildings following an FBI warning of armed demonstrations, with right-wing extremists emboldened by the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6.

Security officials had eyed Sunday as the first major flashpoint, as that is when the anti-government “boogaloo” movement made plans weeks ago to hold rallies in all 50 states.

Capitals in battleground states, where Trump has directed his accusations of voter fraud, were on especially high alert.

But by midday, only handfuls of demonstrators had taken to the streets alongside much larger crowds of law enforcement officers and media personnel.

A few Trump supporters were at Pennsylvania’s statehouse in Harrisburg, including Alex, a 34-year-old drywall finisher from Hershey, Pennsylvania who said he had been at the Jan. 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol but did not storm the building. He declined to give his last name.

Wearing a hoodie emblazoned with “Fraud 2020”, he said he believed November’s presidential election was stolen and wanted to show his support for Trump. He noted the lack of protesters at the Pennsylvania capitol on Sunday.

“There’s nothing going on,” he said.

A similarly small group of about a dozen protesters, a few armed with rifles, stood outside Michigan’s capitol in Lansing. One wore fatigue pants, a tactical vest and blue Hawaiian shirt, a trademark of the anti-government boogaloo movement. Another wore a Trump T-shirt and waved a “Don’t tread on me” flag.

Nearby, crews had blocked off streets and office buildings had boarded up windows in fear of violence.

In Atlanta, several hundred law enforcement officers and National Guard troops milled around Georgia’s state house. Chain-link fences and cement barriers protected the Capitol grounds and multiple armored vehicles were stationed nearby.

Array
(
    [post_type] => post
    [post_status] => publish
    [orderby] => date
    [order] => DESC
    [update_post_term_cache] => 
    [update_post_meta_cache] => 
    [cache_results] => 
    [category__in] => 1
    [posts_per_page] => 4
    [offset] => 0
    [no_found_rows] => 1
    [date_query] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                    [after] => Array
                        (
                            [year] => 2023
                            [month] => 12
                            [day] => 29
                        )

                    [inclusive] => 1
                )

        )

)

No Posts found for specific category