Federal law enforcement agencies in the United States are bracing for potential unrest over the outcome of the presidential election.
According to The Hill, the National Security Integration Center (NSIC), a key national security and counterterrorism component within Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) warned in an internal email late last week about the protests. within Beltway.
“From November 4-7, civil unrest is planned throughout downtown Washington DC. LE intelligence agencies have monitored various messages on protesters’ social media sites that say, ‘If you want to shoot down, come to Washington DC on November 4,’ “reads one of the vignettes in the email, obtained by The Hill.
In addition, he reported that authorities are preparing for the worst, a non-scalable fence has been placed around the White House before Election Day to create “a buffer” in case the protests turn violent. In the DC area and across the country, cities are covering their windows with boards for protection.
The chances of violence are expected to increase, regardless of the outcome. In New Jersey and New York, pro-Trump protesters stopped traffic over the weekend, while another group of Trump supporters surrounded a Joe Biden campaign bus in Texas.
Three people were shot in Topeka, Kansas, in the middle of a confrontation by people who allegedly stole political posters supporting the president of the United States and local Republicans, over the weekend.
As many American citizens in the country voted by mail this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there is a possibility that the winner of the election will not be declared on November 3, which political observers fear that tensions could rise with the passing of the days. .
“We all expect every vote to be counted, no matter how long it takes,” DC Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference cited by Hill, adding that they are “preparing to ensure the safety of the city.”
“It’s no secret that this election is more controversial than in years past,” New York Police Department Chief Terence Monahan said at a news conference last month, according to The Hill reports.
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