A group swung the iron security gate at the entrance to the property until the gate opened, as shown in the video.
“The governor (Jay Inslee) was never in danger,” said the Washington State Patrol Sergeant. Darren Wright said at a news conference.
Inslee did not immediately comment on the violation.
Trump urged his supporters to fight against the ceremonial counting of electoral votes that will confirm President-elect Joe Biden’s victory.
Many of the protesters in Olympia wore Trump clothes, but they also told KIRO that they were there to complain about the state’s pandemic restrictions.
The state patrol made no arrests.
“If you make an arrest, it can stir up the crowd and make things worse,” said Wright. “If they are not creating violence at the moment and they are not destroying property, we have time available and we want to try to keep it as peaceful as possible.”
Protesters left peacefully after additional soldiers and sheriff’s delegates arrived at the property. Wright says they know of no damage to the land beyond the front gate.
Protests in several capitals
As protesters revolted in Washington, DC, there were smaller and more moderate pro-Trump protests in state capitals and other cities.
Protesters at a “Stop the Steal” rally at the historic Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix caused some damage to the building. A photo taken by an Arizona Republic newspaper official showed a broken window on the Capitol entrance door, which was closed.
The building served only as a museum for many years. The current state government offices and chambers are located in other buildings nearby.
Department of Public Security spokesman Bart Graves said: “There has been some minor damage, but no arrests have been made.” He did not provide details about the damage.
Later, protesters who marched separately to Capitol were forced to disperse because they were participating in an illegal assembly.
At least one person was arrested after the meeting was declared an illegal assembly. “An arrest for harassment and disorderly conduct,” the Oregon State Police said in a tweet.
In Atlanta, dozens of people were in front of the Capitol, many holding flags. In Denver, hundreds of people gathered in front of the Colorado Capitol.
Authorities say a pro-Trump protest inside the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka was peaceful. “There are no known problems that I know of,” Lt. Terry Golightly, a Kansas Capitol Police spokesman, told CNN. The demonstration was allowed for an hour and was over, he said.
Some state officials in Utah were allowed to leave work three hours early due to security concerns over a “Stop Theft” demonstration outside Capitol Hill.
“Workers had the option of early release from work,” said the sergeant. Nick Street, of the Utah Highway Patrol, said, adding that the Capitol was never evacuated.
Street says there was no serious violence at the event – just a small altercation between a protester and a possible counter-protester.
Christina Zdanowicz of CNN contributed to this report.