COLOMBIA – The FBI briefed the State Law Enforcement Division about possible armed protests in the capital of South Carolina soon, a spokesman for the state agency said on Monday.
SLED said it had received information about the possibility of armed protests in state capitals across the country after a riot of supporters of President Donald Trump at the United States Capitol last week that left five people dead, including a police officer. The state agency did not say when the protests are expected in Columbia.
“We are and have been in constant communication with our federal, state and local partners on this information and are prepared to provide any necessary assistance as requested,” said SLED spokesman Tommy Crosby.
An FBI bulletin said that armed protests are planned in all 50 state capitals from January 16 through at least January 20, the date of inauguration of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden, according to several media reports.
The US Capitol riot interrupted Congressional efforts to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election and was fueled by allegations of electoral fraud that were rejected in the courts. The results were certified after midnight, when deliberations resumed after the disturbances.
Now, federal officials are warning of the potential for further unrest in the final days of Trump’s presidency.
SC’s Bureau of Protective Services, which protects the Statehouse, increased security last week, an agency spokesman said in a statement.
“We are staying in a state of heightened security and surveillance and monitoring developments in the state and across the country,” said the statement.
Richland County sheriff Leon Lott declined to directly address the FBI warning during a press conference on Monday to discuss murders in his jurisdiction during 2020, saying only that his office works with local partners in such cases and that would do it again if necessary.
A statement from the FBI field office in Columbia did not directly address the possibility of armed protests in the city, but said the agency would work with state and local agencies as needed.
“As we do in the normal course of business, we are collecting information to identify any potential threats and sharing that information with our partners,” said the statement. “The FBI respects the rights of individuals to peacefully exercise their First Amendment rights. Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those who threaten their safety and the safety of other citizens through violence and property destruction.”
On the same day, a crowd invaded the United States Capitol, about a hundred Trump supporters went to SC City Hall in a peaceful show of solidarity with the defeated president.
More than 100 people attended a pro-Trump rally at SC Statehouse on the same day as the Capitol rebellion.
The event, which included a speech by Republican state deputy Josiah Magnuson of Spartanburg, was peppered with “Stop the theft” and other posters stating that the November 3 general elections were composed of electoral fraud.
Although the meeting was not violent, there were police and about 25 members of the Proud Boys, an extreme right organization labeled as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Talk to Stephen Fastenau at 803-365-3235. Follow him on Twitter @StephenFastenau.