Fortified US state capitols see small protests, some armed, before Joe Biden inauguration
- National Guard troops and police keep watch at statehouses across the country to prevent a repeat of the unrest that broke out at the US Capitol
- The FBI has warned of the potential for armed protests in Washington and at all 50 state capitol buildings ahead of the Wednesday event
Fears of major protests by armed, far-right Trump supporters outside the US Capitol and at state capitols on Sunday proved unfounded, with only small groups, some carrying weapons, gathering in a handful of cities.
More than a dozen states activated National Guard troops to help secure their capitol buildings following an FBI warning of armed demonstrations, with right-wing extremists emboldened by the deadly attack on the US Capitol in Washington on January 6.
Nearly a hundred people have been charged in connection with the rioting in which five people died; more than 300 others are under investigation.
Security officials had eyed Sunday as the first major flashpoint, as the anti-government “boogaloo” movement made plans weeks ago to hold rallies in all 50 states.
But by Sunday evening, only small gatherings of demonstrators had taken to the streets alongside much larger crowds of law-enforcement officers and media personnel.
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“It was a non-event today and we are glad it was,” said Troy Thompson, spokesman for the Department of General Services, the agency that protects the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg.