Armed protesters gathered outside the capitals of several states on Sunday, while all 50 states and Washington, DC were preparing for possible violence before Inauguration Day – but the events were quiet and non-violent.
In Columbus, Ohio, about 50 supporters of President Trump – some with assault rifles and other firearms – escorted a “Freedom or Death” flag to the state assembly at around 11 am, according to USA Today.
The group was received by counter-protesters, at least one of whom carried a Black Lives Matter flag, according to the local agency WBNS.
But no violence or arrests were reported, and most participants left around 2:30 pm
About 200 miles away, in Lansing, Michigan, a handful of armed protesters, affiliated with various right-wing anarchist militias, gathered outside the state house, according to The Detroit Free Press.
But that event was even more sparse than the Ohio demonstration, with only about 20 people attending, the newspaper reported.
At around 4 pm, there were no reports of violence or arrests – and the police officers on guard were storing their shock equipment, according to the Free Press.
At the Texas Capitol in Austin, about 100 protesters attended. One, carrying an AR-15 rifle, condemned those who invaded the US Capitol in DC.
“All we came here for today was to discuss, get together, make contacts and leave. And it was blown up and distorted completely out of proportion, ”said Ben Hawk.
And in Oregon’s capital, Salem, about a dozen men dressed in black – and some in Hawaiian shirts, the favorite costume of the far-right “boogaloo” movement – were outside the government house with long guns, reported the Oregonian.
The FBI issued warnings about possible unrest in state capitals last week after the deadly riot at the United States Capitol on January 6.
Several state capitals and DC called on the National Guard to increase security in the days before – and potentially after – Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday.
On the Beltway alone, some 21,000 National Guard soldiers are expected to be on Wednesday, reinforcing a huge perimeter around the U.S. Capitol, where Biden is to take office as president – two weeks after Trump supporters stormed in a deadly attempt. to interrupt Congressional certification of Biden’s victory.
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