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WASHINGTON: Several hundred Joe Biden supporters rallied near the White House Tuesday night, creating a festive atmosphere as bands played, people danced, and some said they were cautious that Democrats could regain the presidency.
But behind the celebrations, many also expressed concern that President Donald Trump could try to “steal the election” by declaring victory early or through biased court proceedings if the outcome failed.
Crowds converged on two streets recently named Black Lives Matter (BLM) Plaza by the mayor of Washington, which was the focal point of opposition to Trump during the racial justice protests during the summer.
Others filled a nearby park, McPherson Square, after the traditional area for such gatherings, Lafayette Square, was closed off by a perimeter fence that was erected a few weeks ago.
A new barricade that cannot be climbed has also been erected within the perimeter, and dozens of policemen were watching, but there were no signs of tension.
“I’m here to celebrate, hopefully, the president’s departure from here, an anticipated celebration,” Malik Williams, a 27-year-old school counselor from Maryland, told AFP.
Williams, who participated in the BLM protests, said he was encouraged by the polls and early voting records, adding: “I think it will all work out.”
“Honestly, I am not worried at all, I think he is going to lose and I think it will be a historic defeat,” he added.
Her optimism was shared by Charlotte Griffin, a 22-year-old college student who had traveled from upstate New York with friends but voted in Florida, and said she believed more people would back Biden than Hillary Clinton in 2016.
But he added: “I think Trump will declare victory tonight and I think his supporters will join him and that worries me.”
‘Feel the energy’
Some had traveled far and wide to be in the American capital on Election Day.
Ruby Soy, 40, and her friend Concetta Leanza, 34, along with Leanza’s terrier, Hercules, came from Florida on Sunday.
“We came here just to feel the energy and to be here, and to really make sure our voices are heard,” said I’m.
Both, who work in the financial sector, said they voted early for Biden, but added that they are not “sure” how their candidate would perform in his home state, a traditional battlefield leaning toward Trump based on early results. .
“Vote to get it out!” Added I am.
Another pair of friends, Susan Ryan and Lauren Sanders, both writers from New York, said that while waiting to celebrate.
“But we are not going to leave the streets, either, until we know that Donald Trump is going to agree to leave peacefully,” said Sanders, 55.
First-time voter Greta Jones, 20, was playing with a truck-mounted go-go band on the street.
“I’m here to show a united front, I voted for Biden and Harris,” said the grocery store worker.
Jones voted from Maryland, a comfortably blue state, as did the American capital itself.
When asked how she felt about the end result, she said, “Honestly, I’m scared because it’s going to be a civil war anyway and I’m not mentally ready for that.”
