Ten days after rioters breached the US Capitol in a deadly attack that stunned the world, cities across the US were girding for a potential new wave of violent protests over the weekend, erecting barriers and deploying thousands of National Guard troops.
The FBI warned police agencies of possible armed demonstrations outside all 50 state capitol buildings starting Saturday through president-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, fueled by supporters of US President Donald Trump who believe his false claims of electoral fraud.
Michigan, Virginia, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Washington were among more than a dozen states that activated their National Guards to strengthen security.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Meanwhile, downtown Washington was virtually empty, with streets near the US Capitol closed and battalions of camouflaged National Guard soldiers taking up positions across the city center.
There were scattered demonstrations on Saturday, but statehouses remained mostly quiet.
Law enforcement officials were training much of their focus on yesterday, when the anti-government “boogaloo” movement made plans weeks ago to hold rallies in all 50 states.
Thousands of armed National Guard troops were on the streets of Washington in an unprecedented show of force after the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol.
Authorities were on high alert.
A Virginia man, Wesley Allen Beeler, was arrested on Friday evening at a security checkpoint after police said he presented an “unauthorized inauguration credential,” Capitol Police spokeswoman said.
Beeler had a loaded handgun and more than 500 rounds of ammunition, court papers said.
Beeler later told the Washington Post that he had been working security in Washington all week and pulled up to the checkpoint after getting lost.
He told the paper he forgot the gun was in his truck and denied having so much ammunition.
Beeler was released after an initial court appearance on Saturday and is due back in court in June, records show.
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