Armed protesters gathered at the Ohio State Capitol on Sunday afternoon, while state chambers across the country increased security to face the possibility of civil unrest before Inauguration Day.
About 50 protesters, some armed with assault and other firearms, escorted a “Freedom or Death” flag to the Columbus government palace at 11 am, according to USA Today.
Ohio is an open state, which means that licensed owners can display their weapons.
The crowd included supporters of President Trump and counter-protesters, at least one of whom carried a Black Lives Matters flag, according to local station WBNS.
By 2:30 pm, most of them had left.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol told the CBS affiliate that until mid-afternoon no arrests had been made.
Governor Mike DeWine authorized the deployment of up to 580 members of the National Guard to protect government buildings in Buckeye State that preceded the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, according to USA Today.
Three hundred kilometers away, a handful of armed protesters affiliated with right-wing militias gathered at the state house in Lansing, MI, on Sunday afternoon.
No violence was reported.