Armed protesters gathered Sunday outside the capitals of several states as all 50 states and Washington, DC prepared for possible violence ahead of the opening day, but events were extinguished and free of violence.
In Columbus, Ohio, about 50 supporters of President Trump – some carrying assault rifles and other firearms – escorted a “Freedom or Death” flag to the State House around 11 a.m. according to USA Today.
The group was found by counter-protesters, at least one of whom carried a Black Lives Matter flag, according to local WBNS.
But no violence or arrests were reported and most of the attendees had left at half past two in the afternoon.
According to The Detroit Free Press, about 200 miles away in Lansing, Michigan, a handful of protesters affiliated with various anarchist and right-wing militias gathered outside the state house.
But that event was even less attended than the Ohio demonstration, with only 20 people showing up, the newspaper reported.
At 4 p.m., there were no reports of violence or arrests, and police officers were packing the riot gear, according to Free Press.
At the Texas Capitol in Austin, about 100 protesters showed up. One, carrying an AR-15 rifle, condemned those who stormed the U.S. Capitol in DC.
“All we have come to do today has been to discuss, get together, network and spend some time. And it flew and twisted completely disproportionately, ”Ben Hawk said.
And in Oregon’s capital, Salem, about a dozen men in black (and some in Hawaiian shirts, the favorite clothing of the far-right “boogaloo” movement) were outside the house of the State with long guns, Oregonian reported.
The FBI had last week announced warnings about possible riots in state capitals in the wake of the deadly U.S. Capitol Uprising on January 6th.
Several state and DC capitals have called on the National Guard to increase security in the days leading up to the possibility of moving to Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday.
In the belt alone, approximately 21,000 National Guard troops are expected to be at his disposal on Wednesday, applying a massive perimeter around the U.S. Capitol, where Biden is to be sworn in as president, two weeks after the invasion of supporters of Trump in a deadly attempt. to interrupt Congress ’certification of Biden’s victory.
With publishing cables