After a violent mob stormed the U.S. capitol in Washington D. C. last Wednesday, killing a U.S. Capitol police officer and four others, law enforcement from across the country are warning that they are bracing for more violence across the entire country.
As a federal effort to arrest and charge those involved in the insurrection is underway, officials across the country are bracing for pro-Trump demonstrations with the potential for violence in their own states.
In the wake of Wednesday’s events combined with armed Trump supporters trying to siege the Michigan State House last year, perhaps no other state is taking more precautions than Michigan.
One move that the state has made is banning the open carry of guns within its capitol building.
Yahoo News, quoting an FBI report, warns that “some [Trump] followers indicated willingness to commit violence in support of their ideology, created contingency plans in the event violence occurred at the events, and identified law enforcement security measures and possible countermeasures.”
Officials are preparing for more large crowds in Washington for Biden’s Jan. 20 inauguration, as state officials are preparing for protests at their own capitols.
ABC News is reporting a similar FBI bulletin warning of armed demonstrations “at all 50 state capitols” and in D.C.
ABC reported that the According to the report, the FBI is monitoring plans for armed protests against Biden’s election victory between Saturday and inauguration day, saying they had obtained an internal FBI bulletin detailing calls for the “storming” of state, local and federal courthouses and buildings, if Trump were to be removed from power before January 20.
ABC’s Aaron Katersky said the FBI had received information about an identified armed group intending to travel to Washington DC on 16 January, ready to lead a “huge uprising” if congress attempts to remove Trump via the 25th amendment.
Experts have also warned in recent days that extremists are planning more violence ahead of Inauguration Day, in the wake of the US Capitol riots in which dozens were injured and five people, including one Capitol police officer, were killed.
“We are seeing … chatter from these white supremacists, from these far-right extremists – they feel emboldened at this moment,” Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, recently stated.
“We fully expect that this violence could actually get worse before it gets better.”
According to a report from Twitter the social media platform has seen an increase in online chatter related to violence and President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration.
“Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021,” Twitter said in a statement.
On Friday, Twitter banned Donald Trump from its social media platform. The media giant cited fears that Trump would use the platform to incite further violence.
Wednesday’s assault on the Capitol saw rioters march to Congress at Trump’s urging and overtake police and breach the federal building.
For weeks now pro-Trump supporters have been openly planning online attacks on the Capitol. They have been urged on by Trump’s rhetoric and false claims of a stolen election.
Just prior to the attack on the Capitol extremists flooded social media with comments about violence.
“We will storm the government buildings, kill cops, kill security guards, kill federal employees and agents, and demand a recount,” one online message read.
Trump had also been feeding his supporters rage via his social media accounts.
“Statistically impossible to have lost the 2020 Election,” Trump tweeted in December. “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th. Be there, will be wild!”
After riling up his supporters at the “Stop the Steal” rally Trump returned to the safety of the White House.
Trump sat in his private dining room eating cheeseburgers, drinking Coca Cola, and watching the riot on television.
Trump was said to be outraged by what he saw, but not because the rioters had broken into the federal building or the violence, but because the rioters looked poor and he was embarrassed by how some of them dressed. He was furious because they were making him look bad.
“So much of the conversation right now is the general making of threats,” Cindy Otis, vice president of analysis at Alethea stated.
“There’s a risk of these particular dates leading to violence because that’s the kind of amped-up conversation we’re already seeing from people,” she added.
Reportedly, attacks are being planned in locations such as Pittsburg, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Ohio; and Salt Lake City, Utah, in the days leading up to Inauguration Day, and also on inauguration day as well.
On Donald. win.com a site created just for Trump supporters; one anonymous post reads: “Round 2 on January 20th. This time no mercy. I don’t even care about keeping Trump in power. I care about the war.”
Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a state of emergency that would last until the day after Inauguration Day. A 7-foot-tall “non-scalable” wall has also constructed around Capitol grounds.
