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Thursday March 28, 2024

Army called in DC

By News Report
January 18, 2021

WASHINGTON: The city under siege was quiet Sunday as Americans braced for possible violence ahead of inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

The troops were pouring into the nation's capital as well as many state capitals after law enforcement officials warned of possibly violent protests planned nationwide this week by supporters of President Donald Trump, who falsely claims the election was stolen from him.

It was just 11 days ago that scores of rioters smashed through windows and rampaged through the US Capitol, clashing with overwhelmed Capitol police.

The melee was blamed for five deaths, left parts of the hallowed building in ruins and raised questions about law enforcement's preparation and response.

More than a dozen states have activated National Guard troops to help secure their capitol buildings following an FBI warning of armed protests, with right-wing extremists emboldened by the deadly attack on the US Capitol in Washington on January 6. Security officials 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, reports the international media. “Following the siege at our nation’s capitol and reports on threats to state capitals, I’m bringing all resources to bear to protect our residents and democratic process,” Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker wrote on Twitter on Sunday, adding that he was activating the state police and National Guard to protect the state’s capital, Springfield.

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

Several hundred law enforcement officers and National Guard troops milled around Georgia’s state house in Atlanta early Sunday.

Chain-link fences and cement barriers protected the Capitol grounds and multiple armored vehicles were stationed nearby.

In Lansing, Michigan, crews were setting up barricades, blocking off streets around the capitol building as snow flurries fell on Sunday morning. Office buildings around the capitol had boarded up their windows.

In addition to increasing police presence, some states, including Pennsylvania, Texas and Kentucky, have taken the further step of closing their capitol grounds to the public.

It is just days until Wednesday’s Inauguration Day, when Democrat Joe Biden will be sworn in as president amid extraordinary security efforts in Washington, D.C.

The FBI and other federal agencies have warned of potential for future violence leading up to the inauguration, as white supremacists and other extremists look to exploit frustration among Trump supporters who have bought into falsehoods about electoral fraud.

It was not clear whether the FBI warning and ramped up security presence around the country might lead some protesters to stay at home.

The FBI warned police agencies of possible armed demonstrations outside all 50 state capitol buildings starting Saturday through President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Washington were among more than a dozen states that activated their National Guards to strengthen security.

Meanwhile, downtown Washington DC, was virtually empty, with streets near the Capitol closed and battalions of camouflaged National Guard soldiers taking up positions across the city center.

Following the Jan. 6 violence in Washington, some militia members said they would not attend a long-planned pro-gun demonstration in Virginia on Monday, where authorities were worried about the risk of violence as multiple groups converged on the state capital, Richmond.

Some militias and extremist groups have told followers to stay home this weekend, citing the increased security or the risk that the planned events were law enforcement traps.

Bob Gardner, leader of the Pennsylvania Lightfoot Militia, said his group had no plans to be in Harrisburg this weekend, where the Capitol has been fortified with barricades and will be protected by hundreds of members of its National Guard.

“We’ve got our own communities to worry about,” Gardner said earlier this week. “We don’t get involved in politics.”

Police in Washington, D.C. arrested a Virginia man who allegedly tried to pass through a security checkpoint with an "unauthorized" inauguration credential, a handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, according to officials.

Wesley Allen Beeler, 31, of Front Royal, Virginia, was released on his own recognizance after a hearing Saturday.

Beeler had a valid credential for inaugural events, though it was not issued by the government.

Beeler told the Washington Post that "it was an honest mistake.” He said he had been working as hired security in downtown Washington and forgot his firearm was in his truck when he left his home in Virginia.

“I pulled up to a checkpoint after getting lost in D.C. because I’m a country boy,” he said. “I showed them the inauguration badge that was given to me."

A woman was arrested for impersonating a law enforcement officer near an inauguration security checkpoint in Washington D.C. Saturday morning.

The suspect drove up to a perimeter checkpoint north of the Capitol Building near Union Station, according to a police incident report which does not give her name. She displayed a military police challenge coin and stated she was a law enforcement officer and part of the presidential cabinet, according to the report.