A small number of protesters are gathering in the last U.S. state houses. Security has been beefed up in recent days after the FBI warned of possible protests in Washington and all 50 state capitols.
Small groups of food wing protesters – some of them armed with guns – rallied outside state-security buildings across the country on Sunday, in large numbers with National Guard soldiers and police deployed to prevent a recurrence of violence in the US Capitol.
As darkness began to fall, there were no reports of any conflicts.
Security was tightened a few days ago after the FBI warned of possible protests in Washington and all 50 buildings in the capitol state ahead of the inauguration of President Joe Biden on Wednesday.
Crowds of only a dozen or two people showed up at some of the closed warehouses, while the streets in many other cities remained empty.
Some protesters said they were there to support President Donald Trump. Some say they have instead come to express their support for gun rights or to oppose the government’s excesses.
“I do not trust the election results,” said Michigan protester Martin Szelag, a 67-year-old retired window watcher who sells windows from Birthborn Heights. He wore a sign around his neck that read, in part, “We will support Joe Biden as our President if you can convince us that he has won legally. Show us the evidence! Then he begins to recover. ”
As the day goes on without bloodshed in the US, a sense of relief spread among the officials, even though they were not ready to give up.
The complex existence of law enforcement is likely to keep the price close. A few days ago, some activists had warned others about falling into what they called a law enforcement trap.
Washington State Patrol spokesman Chris Loftis said he hoped the seemingly peaceful day reflected the search for the soul of the American people.
“I would like to say that it is because we all looked at ourselves in the mirror and decided that we are a more united people than can be expressed from time to time,” he said.
Security measures were aimed at protecting government seats in the wake of the violence that erupted at the US Capitol on January 6, when Trump’s right-backs were voted out of his unsubstantiated allegations that the election was rigged past police and began building when Congress confirmed the Electoral College vote.
The attack left a Capitol police officer and four others dead. More than 125 people have been arrested in connection with the uprising.
Many courts, state election officials and Trump’s attorney general have all said there is no evidence of widespread electoral corruption.
On Sunday, some state institutions were surrounded by new security fences, had windows and were guarded by additional police. Legislatures were usually off work on weekends.
Long calls were all around the US Capitol. The National Mall was closed to the public, with the mayor of Washington urging people not to attend. About 25,000 National Armed Forces are expected to arrive in the city in the coming days.
About 20 protesters marched on the Michigan Capitol, including some armed, with a large number of law enforcement officials and the media.
At the Ohio Statehouse, about 20 people, including several armed with rifles, protested outside under the eyes of state security guards before dispersing as snow began to fall.
Kathy Sherman, who wore a visor that read “Trump”, said she supported the president but distanced herself from the mob that broke the American Capitol.
“I am here to support the right to express a political opinion or opinion without fear of reprisals, harassment or threats of losing a job or being beaten,” he said.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, said he was pleased with the outcome but stressed that the authorities “continue to be concerned about possible violence in the coming days, which is why I intend to maintain security at Statehouse as we go to the presidential opening.”
At Oregon’s Capitol, fewer than a dozen men dressed in military uniforms, ski masks and helmets stood next to a series of assault rifles. Others carried American flags and emblems with such slogans as “Benefit the government.”
At the Texas Capitol, Ben Hawk accompanied about a dozen protesters arriving at the locked gates with a bullhorn and an AR-15 pistol hanging next to his hideout trousers. He criticized the rebellion in the U.S. Capitol and said he did not support Trump.
“We have come here to do today to talk, collect, connect and stay. It was smashed to pieces and completely destroyed, ”said Hawk.
In the Nevada’s Capitol, where Trump-backed protesters have been on the rise over the weekend in recent months, everything has been quiet except for one marked protester. “Trump is Lost. Become Adults. Go Home, ”it reads.
More than a third of the governors have called on the National Guard to help protect their capitols and help local law enforcement. Several officials have announced emergencies, with some closing their capitols in public until after Biden’s opening.
Some legislatures also canceled sessions or postponed their work next week.
Even before the Capitol riots, some of the buildings were mentioned by angry demolitionists and protesters last year.