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All 50 states and the District of Columbia are on alert for possible violent protests this weekend, ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, according to the BBC.
National Guard troops from across the country are being dispatched to Washington DC to discourage a repeat of the January 6 riot that resulted in deaths.
The FBI has warned that Trump supporters are staging “armed protests” in the US Capitol and in every other chapter in the country.
The esplanade of the “National Mall” in DC has been closed.
In addition, the streets of the capital are barricaded, in the context of stricter security measures.
Read also: Man armed with gun and 500 bullets, arrested in Washington near the Capitol
Biden’s team has already asked Americans to avoid traveling to the capital due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and local officials said people should watch the inauguration from a distance.
The protests could take place on Sunday, after messages posted online by Donald Trump supporters and far-right groups called for armed demonstrations on January 17 and an organized march in Washington DC on inauguration day.
Several armed groups warned their supporters not to participate, referring to harsh security measures or saying that the planned events were police traps.
This comes as a result of a week in which Donald Trump became the first president of the United States to be indicted twice. He will appear in the Senate to be heard on charges of “incitement to insurrection” in connection with the Jan.6 assault on the US Capitol by groups of his supporters.
Which states are taking action
The United States is taking precautionary measures, from barricading windows in capital cities to banning demonstrations.
The governors of Maryland, New Mexico and Utah have declared a state of emergency in the face of possible protests.
California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin are among the states activating their National Guards, and Texas closes its own chapter on Saturday until after inauguration day.
According to the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, reports suggest that “violent extremists” could infiltrate planned protests to “commit crimes.”
The Virginia governor told a news conference Thursday: “If you plan to come here or to Washington with ill will in your heart, you must go home now. You are not welcome here and you are not welcome in our nation’s capital. And if you come here and show up, Virginia will be ready. “
Analysts believe that states that have had tense or protracted electoral battles are at a higher risk of violence. Michigan erected a tall fence around its Lansing chapter.
“We are prepared for the worst, but we are hopeful that those who decide to protest in our chapter will do so in peace,” the state police chief said Friday. The building will have a greater number of police present until at least mid-February, he added.
Editing: Alexandru Costea
