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The US capital mobilized the National Guard ahead of protests planned by supporters of Donald Trump ahead of the Congressional vote confirming Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
Trump supporters plan to gather on Tuesday and Wednesday, seeking to bolster the president’s unproven claims of widespread electoral fraud.
DC Police have posted signs throughout downtown warning that firearm carrying is illegal, and their Acting Police Chief Robert Contee has asked residents to notify authorities of anyone who could be armed. “There are people who intend to come to our city armed,” Contee said Monday.
It comes as Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the far-right violent Proud Boys group, has been arrested in Washington and charged with destruction of property – linked to a previous pro-Trump protest – and a weapons offense. fire.
Trump has repeatedly encouraged this week’s protests and hinted that he might get personally involved. Over the weekend, he retweeted a promotion for the rally with the message: “I’ll be there. Historic day! “
The rallies are expected to coincide with the official congressional vote on Wednesday to certify the constituency votes in the November presidential election and declare Biden the winner.
A newly elected congresswoman on Sunday raised the issue of guns in the capital, pledging to carry her handgun in Congress. Republican Lauren Boebert, of the town of Rifle, Colo., Was reminded by Contee that she would be “subject to the same penalties as anyone caught in the streets of Washington with a gun.”
As businesses in downtown DC closed their windows, Mayor Muriel Bowser called for a limited National Guard deployment to help bolster the Metropolitan Police Department. At a press conference Monday, Bowser demanded that local residents stay away from downtown DC and avoid confrontations with anyone “looking to fight.” But, she warned, “We will not allow people to incite violence, intimidate our residents or cause destruction in our city.”
Photograph: Susan Walsh / AP
According to a US defense official, Bowser called on New Years Eve to have members of the Guard on the streets Tuesday through Thursday to help with the protests. The official said the additional forces will be used for traffic control and other forms of assistance, but will not be armed or wear body armor.
Some 340 members of the DC National Guard will be activated, with around 115 on duty in the streets at any time, the defense official, who provided details on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said. The official said members of the guard will be used to set up traffic checkpoints around the city and to stand alongside district police at all metro stations in the city. Contee said the Guard troops would also be used for some crowd management.
Contee said: “Some of our information certainly suggests that there will be an increase in crowd size.”
Because DC does not have a governor, the city’s designated National Guard commander is Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy. Any request from D .. for Guard deployments must be approved by him.
The defense official said there would be no active duty military troops in the city and the military would not provide any planes or intelligence. The DC Guard will provide specialized teams that will be ready to respond to any chemical or biological incident. But the official said there would be no members of the DC Guard on the National Mall or the Capitol.
In previous pro-Trump protests, police cordoned off Black Lives Matter Plaza itself, but the clashes simply spread to surrounding streets. Contee said Monday that re-sealing the area was “a very real possibility,” but said the decision would depend on the circumstances. “We know that historically in recent protests BLM plaza has been a focal point,” Contee said. “We want to make sure that’s not a problem.”
The National Park Service received three separate requests for pro-Trump protests on Tuesday or Wednesday, with an estimated maximum attendance of around 15,000, spokesman Mike Litterst said. On Monday, a scene was being edited for one of the Ellipse protests, just south of the White House.
Organizers plan to gather on Tuesday evening and again all day Wednesday, including a 1-hour march to the Capitol. Expected attendees include high-profile Trump supporters such as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican strategist Roger Stone, a longtime Trump loyalist whose three-year prison sentence has been commuted by Trump. Stone has been found guilty of repeatedly lying to Congress during the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election.
During pro-Trump protests on December 12, at least two local black churches had BLM banners demolished and set on fire. Contee said the hate crimes investigation into these incidents was ongoing and his officers would be in force around churches to prevent similar incidents.
With Associated Press
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