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State capitals strengthen security in the face of threats
State capitals across the country have stepped up security, deploying National Guard units, SWAT teams and additional police officers amid heightened security concerns following last week’s violence on the U.S. Capitol. (January 14)
AP
WASHINGTON – National Guard troops flock to Washington, DC and state capitals across the country on Sunday, as Americans brace for possible violence ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
Law enforcement officials have warned that protests planned across the country this week by supporters of President Donald Trump who mistakenly believe he won the election could escalate into violence. Just 11 days ago, dozens of rioters smashed windows and ransacked the U.S. Capitol, clashing with overwhelmed Capitol Police. The melee was charged with five deaths, left parts of the sacred building in ruins and raised questions about law enforcement preparedness and response.
USA TODAY is monitoring protests and security concerns in the district and across the United States. Keep refreshing this page for updates.
The riot on the Capitol was like a scene from the ‘Designated Survivor’ TV show
Handan Gencogluer, 60, came to Washington from McLean with a friend to walk around and see the extent of security on Sunday. “It’s sad. It’s supposed to be a happy time,” she said, pointing to the holidays and celebrations of past inaugurations. Gencogluer was not too worried about the violence: ““ Now they’re ready to go. , the good guys at least. “
Gencogluer, an immigrant from Istanbul, said she watched in horror the violence last week. She had friends texting her to see if she was safe even though she was in the suburbs. She described viewing the news as if she were watching the “Designated Survivor” TV show.
“I am an immigrant here and one of the things that brought me here is that it is a country of law,” she added. “It’s scary that at the top he was trampled.”
Washington, DC police arrested a Virginia man who allegedly attempted to go through a security checkpoint with “unauthorized” inauguration ID, a handgun and more than 500 rounds, officials said. Wesley Allen Beeler, 31, of Front Royal, Virginia, was released on his own recognizance after a hearing on Saturday. The Associated Press, citing a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity, reported that Beeler had valid accreditation for the inaugural events, although it was not issued by the government .
Beeler told the Washington Post that “it was an honest mistake.” He said he worked as a security guard in downtown Washington and forgot his gun was in his truck when he left his home in Virginia.
“I stopped at a checkpoint after I got lost in Washington because I’m a country boy,” he said. “I showed them the inauguration badge that was given to me.”
Barricades around the United States Capitol on Sunday protected buildings as members of the National Guard patrolled the grounds and SUVs blocked the streets. To enter Pennsylvania Avenue, the public had to enter security tents with bag checks and metal detectors. The police even leafed through the pages of the journalists’ notebooks. Barricades blocked the way to the Capitol several blocks in front of the park.
Kamieh Hendley, 21, of San Diego, was in Washington for the first time since elementary school. She was surprised by the tightening of security but not too worried about the violence on Sunday morning.
“It’s a bit of a shock to see all of this,” she said. “If it gets tough, I’ll go home.”
Biden was a Delaware senator for more than a quarter of a century, but Gov. John Carney doesn’t assume his state will be immune to pro-Trump protests. Carney activated the National Guard to assist state and local law enforcement in keeping the peace if needed. A 6-foot-high fence was built around the Legislative Chamber and traffic was restricted. Delaware Capitol Police said the Capitol buildings “will be secure and citizens can expect an increased law enforcement presence.”
– Nick Siano, Delaware News Journal
A broad swath of Washington, DC, was in a virtual lockdown on Sunday as the country braced for protests ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. More than 25,000 members of the National Guard are in place or on their way to the city. The National Park Service has shut down the entire National Mall, a 2-mile scenic stretch from the Lincoln Memorial on the west end to the Capitol in the east. More than a dozen suburban metro stations have already closed and the historic heart of the city has been divided into a “red zone” for authorized vehicles only and a “green zone” allowing only vehicles from residents of the city. district.
Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged the hardships the lockdown is creating for many businesses already struggling due to the pandemic. “We know it’s very embarrassing,” Bowser said. “It is clear that we are in unknown waters.”
The United States Postal Service has temporarily removed blue mail collection boxes in some areas of major cities and state capitals as a safety measure in more than a dozen states ahead of the inauguration, USPS says . Boxes have also been removed around the US Capitol.
“It is part of our normal procedures to protect our employees and customers during times of protest or when large crowds are gathered near postal facilities, on postal routes or by letterboxes,” USA TODAY told USA. Postal Service spokesperson Kim Frum.
►The Texas The Department of Public Safety announced Friday the closure of the State Capitol after discovering new information that prompted the agency to further tighten security.
► The Kentucky The Capitol grounds in Frankfurt will be closed on Sunday after “threats of domestic terror against state capitals everywhere” in the United States, the administration of Governor Andy Beshear announced.
► Michigan, who was the target of armed anti-lockdown protesters earlier this year and an alleged extremist plot to kidnap his governor, activated his National Guard and sealed off the windows of state buildings.
► California Governor Gavin Newsom mobilized 1,000 members of the National Guard as the state also erected a temporary fence around its Capitol. The California Highway Patrol refused to issue permits for gatherings scheduled there.
►Florida Governor Ron DeSantis activated the Florida National Guard on Friday. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has ordered the state guard to prepare for potential activity. About 450 members of the National Guard in Pennsylvania will be among law enforcement at the State Capitol in Harrisburg, Governor Tom Wolf said. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has activated 250 members of the Illinois National Guard. The plywood began to rise to the State Capitol.
►New Jersey State employees were ordered to work remotely on Biden’s inauguration day, due to “the level of tension in the country,” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said.
►The Kansas Statehouse will tighten security measures, close visitor access to the parking lot, allow key card access only through the visitor entrance, and require those with key card access to show badges . In Ohio, “several hundred” officers will be in the Capitol Square neighborhood on Sunday.
Go deep: Why the absence of the National Guard at the riots on Capitol Hill shows a lack of preparation, mistrust after the brutal response of the BLM.
Authorities across the country have arrested dozens of people who stormed the Capitol in the Jan.6 riot, including a Dallas woman who said she was a “normal person” who listened to her. President. Jenna Ryan, 50, is accused of “knowingly” entering or staying in the building or restricted grounds without legal authorization and disorderly conduct on the Capitol grounds on January 6, according to a criminal complaint filed by the FBI before a Washington Federal Court. Prosecutors say she took a private jet to Washington
Two other men, Robert L. Bauer of Kentucky and his cousin, Edward Hemenway of Winchester, Virginia, pleaded not guilty to trespassing and knowingly entering a building or restricted land. They appeared in federal court on Friday.
Meanwhile, a Washington federal judge halted a plan to release and house arrest the Arkansas man pictured sitting at a desk in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi during the riot last week at the US Capitol. Richard Barnett will instead be taken to Washington, DC, for proceedings in his case, ordered U.S. District Chief Justice Beryl Howell.
In Arizona, far-right social media personality Tim “Baked Alaska” Gionet posted bail on Friday, a day after a Scottsdale judge issued an arrest warrant while Gionet was absent for a court hearing. city council on whether he violated terms of a previous outing while traveling to Washington, DC, for what became the U.S. Capitol Riot.
A group of a dozen supporters of President Donald Trump – some in “Trump 2020” hats, others wearing military clothing – gathered outside the gates of the Texas Capitol on Saturday afternoon. Some people outside the Capitol on Saturday were wearing protective vests and camouflage clothing. At least one man was seen carrying a rifle and another had a large knife and zip ties attached to his belt.
A “Save Our State” protest rally was scheduled for noon on Saturday at the Illinois State Capitol. But shortly after its scheduled start, two protesters were outnumbered by 10 members of the news media.
A small group of protesters gathered near the Nevada Capitol on Saturday. A handful of Capitol Hill police watched people stand with signs where protesters have gathered every week since last summer. Some of the participants were armed.
The Oregon State Capitol had two protesters: a woman holding a sign saying “White supremacy is terrorism”, and a man carrying a sign saying “Don’t blame Trump.”
– Heather Osbourne, American statesman from Austin; Capi Lynn, (Salem, Oregon) Statesman Journal; Brenden Moore, (Springfield, Illinois) State Journal Register; Terell Wilkins, Jason Bean and Brian Duggan, Reno (Nevada) Gazette Journal
Contributors: Lindsay Schnell, Cara Richardson and Joel Shannon, USA TODAY.
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