State capitals brace for violent pro-Trump protests

State capitals across the country are toughening up against possible attacks from violent pro-Trump crowds ahead of the presidential inauguration on January 20, deploying hundreds of National Guard troops, building security fences around their capitals, barricading windows, closing state houses and roads. and holding legislative sessions online.

Governors have stepped up security measures in the states, fearing a repeat of last week’s bloodshed on the U.S. Capitol where a frantic crowd – prompted by President Donald Trump’s dangerous lies about the election – has crossed barricades, attacked the police and ransacked the halls of Congress. , forcing lawmakers into hiding.

The scale of the January 6 riot, which targeted high-level members of Congress and Vice President Mike Pence, raised significant security concerns for one of the most important government buildings and sparked the fear of similar attacks in state capitals.

The FBI warned this week that “armed protests” involving extremists were planned in all 50 states in the days leading up to Joe Biden’s inauguration, the Associated Press reported.

Authorities in the nation’s capital said on Friday they were establishing a “sturdy and hardened perimeter” around the White House, the Capitol, the National Mall and other areas of downtown DC, as well as the parking lot. at least 15,000 National Guard soldiers and about 4,000 law enforcement personnel. law enforcement officers before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

The Secret Service will establish a “green zone” in downtown Washington over the weekend, involving several street and station closures as well as parking, pedestrian and traffic restrictions.

At a press conference on Friday, a Secret Service official admitted that due to the walled perimeter around downtown DC, there was “potential for people to go elsewhere, be it back in their state capitals or in other parts of the city.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday authorized 1,000 National Guard personnel to protect the State Capitol and other critical infrastructure, among other security measures ahead of the presidential inauguration.

“In light of the events in our nation’s capital last week, California is taking important steps to protect public safety at the State Capitol and throughout the state,” Newsom said in a statement. Federal, state and local officials were working together “to make sure these shameful actions are not repeated here,” he said.

Authorities installed a 6-foot chain link fence around the State Capitol in Sacramento. The state is also working with social media companies to ensure their platforms are not used by domestic terrorists and hate groups to organize or spread disinformation, Newsom said.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy on Friday ordered state employees to work remotely on January 20, due to “the level of tension in the country,” the AP reported. Arizona state employees have also been encouraged to work from home, Arizona Republic reported. The National Guard is on guard in the state, and a chain link fence has been installed around the Capitol complex in Phoenix.

Two days after the siege of the United States Capitol, Washington Governor Jay Inslee activated 750 National Guard soldiers and a “large number” of state patrol officers to protect lawmakers and their staff at the State Capitol in Olympia. On the day of the siege of the U.S. Capitol, a group of armed Trump supporters also walked through a fence at the governor’s mansion in Olympia.

“The actions we saw in Washington, DC and Olympia earlier this week were completely unacceptable and will not happen again in our capital,” Inslee said in a statement.

A temporary chain link fence, supported by National Guard troops, was erected around the Capitol.

Two people were arrested on the Capitol campus on Monday, including a man who tried to enter a secure area as the 2021 legislative session was about to begin. Lawmakers voted that most of the new session would be held online.

On Tuesday, Inslee extended security measures until Jan. 20, citing “evolving intelligence on security threats posed in all 50 state capitals following the violence in our nation’s capital, as well as recent illegal and dangerous actions associated with unauthorized events in our state. Capitol Campus. “

He said many roads and trails would remain closed as well as vehicle barricades to support the ability of people to “assemble peacefully” in unrestricted areas.

“These unfortunate and necessary security precautions could last longer, but we hope that soon we will see political temperatures cool and threat levels drop, resulting in a related relaxation of these restrictions,” Inslee said.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine Tuesday authorized 580 National Guard troops and announced that the Ohio Statehouse will be closed from Jan.17 to Jan.20. All downtown office buildings would also be closed on those dates, with staff reporting to other work locations.

DeWine said he had mobilized hundreds of National Guard members to assist local and state authorities in Columbus as well as federal authorities during the DC inauguration.

The Columbus Police Department as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol “will have a significant presence in downtown Columbus in the coming days,” the governor’s office said.

“We must always and always will respect the rights of peaceful protesters, however, the sad truth is that there are people in our country who want to turn peaceful protests into opportunities for violence,” DeWine said at a briefing. Press. “Just as we respect and protect peaceful protesters, we will also vigorously resist violence. Violence will not be tolerated in Ohio.

Workers on Monday opened windows on the ground floor of the Wisconsin Capitol in Madison, in what officials called a “proactive precautionary measure.” Last week, Governor Tony Evers mobilized National Guard troops to help Wisconsin Capitol Police secure the building. He authorized an additional 500 National Guard soldiers to assist federal law enforcement in DC prior to the inauguration.

Following reports that a right-wing group was organizing armed protests at the Michigan State Capitol on Sunday, crews barricaded the windows of government buildings near the Capitol in Lansing, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer activated troops National Guard to assist Michigan State Police in their protection efforts. the Capitol campus, the Detroit Free Press reported.

A state commission voted on Monday to ban the opening of carrier weapons in the Michigan Capitol. Authorities have ordered the construction of a 6-foot fence around the building and an increased number of state police officers are patrolling the campus until mid-February.

Lansing police will close roads on Sunday and officials urged residents to stay home, adding that the department was “unprecedentedly prepared” for possible violence, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Michigan has seen months of armed protests against coronavirus restrictions in the state and threats from extremist groups, including a foiled right-wing plot to kidnap Whitmer. A day after the U.S. Capitol riot, the Michigan Capitol closed for a few hours after an artificial bomb scare against a lawmaker critical of Trump.

On January 7, Attorney General Dana Nessel warned people to stay away from the Capitol, Tweeter, “Our State Capitol is not secure.”

The governors of Oklahoma and Oregon have also activated National Guard troops to protect their state capitals.

SWAT teams and patrol cars were parked outside the Georgia Capitol this week as lawmakers began the legislative session. An 8-foot security fence was erected around the perimeter of the building and Gov. Brian Kemp said he had extended an executive order allowing him to deploy National Guard troops if needed, while several local and state agencies have declared themselves ready to protect the Capitol in Atlanta. .

“Given the disgraceful and anti-American acts we saw last week in Washington, these gentlemen and their teams are fully prepared to deal with whatever may come in the days and weeks ahead,” Kemp said Tuesday. He said that while the threat level to the Capitol was “very low”, he “was not taking anything for granted.”

“I think you can see what happens when you do that, going back to last week,” he said.

Sarah Mimms contributed reporting for this story.