The US capital has mobilized the National Guard ahead of the planned protests by Donald Trump supporters leading up to Joe Biden’s election victory.
Trump supporters plan to gather Tuesday and Wednesday to back up the president’s unproven claims about widespread voter fraud.
DC police have posted signs all over the center warning that carrying some kind of firearm is illegal and the acting police chief, Robert Contee, asked residents to warn the authorities about anyone who may be armed. “There are people who are planning to come to our city armed,” Contee said Monday.
It comes as Enrique Tarrio, the leader of the violent far-right group The Proud Boys, was arrested in DC and charged with property destruction – related to an earlier pro-Trump protest – and a firearms violation.
Trump has repeatedly encouraged this week’s protests, hinting that he could become personally involved. Over the weekend, he retweets a promotion for the rally with the message: “I’ll be there. Historical day! “
The meetings are scheduled to coincide with the official congressional vote on Wednesday to certify the votes of the electoral college in the November presidential election and declare Biden the winner.
A newly elected congressman raised the issue of firearms in the capital on Sunday and pledged to carry her gun in Congress. Republican Lauren Boebert, of the town of Rifle, Colorado, was reminded by Contee that she would “be subject to the same penalties as anyone caught on the streets of Washington with a firearm.”
When businesses in downtown DC nailed their windows shut, Mayor Muriel Bowser requested limited National Guard efforts to strengthen the Metropolitan police force. At a news conference on Monday, Bowser asked that local residents stay away from downtown DC and avoid confrontation with anyone “looking to get into a fight.” However, she warned, “We will not allow people to incite violence, intimidate our residents or cause destruction in our city.”
Photo: Susan Walsh / AP
According to a US defense official, Bowser filed a request on New Year’s Eve to have Guard members out on the streets Tuesday through Thursday to assist with the protests. The official said the additional troops will be used for air traffic control and other assistance, but they will not be armed or wear body armor.
About 340 DC National Guard members will be activated, with about 115 on the streets at any time, the defense official said, providing details on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. The official said Guard members will be used to set up traffic checkpoints in the city and to assist district police officers at all metro stops in the city. Contee said Guard troops will also be used to manage crowds.
Contee said, “Some of our intelligence certainly suggests there will be more crowds.”
Since DC has no governor, the designated commander of the city’s National Guard is Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy. All D .. requests for Guard deployment must be approved by him.
The defense official said there will be no active military forces in the city and the military will not provide aircraft or intelligence. The DC Guard will provide specialized teams that will be prepared to respond to any chemical or biological incident. But the official said there will be no DC Guard members on the National Mall or the Capitol.
In previous pro-Trump protests, police shut down Black Lives Matter Plaza itself, but the clashes only spilled out into the surrounding streets. Contee said Monday that resealing the area was “a very real possibility,” but said the decision would depend on the circumstances. “We know historically during the last few demonstrations that BLM Plaza was a focal point,” said Contee. “We want to make sure that is not a problem.”
The National Park Service received three separate requests for pro-Trump protests Tuesday or Wednesday, with an estimated maximum turnout of about 15,000 people, spokesman Mike Litterst said. On Monday, a stage was put together for one of the protests at The Ellipse, just south of the White House.
Organizers plan to meet all day Tuesday evening and Wednesday, including a 1:00 pm march to the Capitol. Expected attendees include high-level Trump supporters such as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Republican strategist Roger Stone, a longtime Trump fan whose three-year jail sentence was commuted by Trump. Stone was convicted of lying to Congress repeatedly during the investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 election.
During pro-Trump protests on Dec. 12, at least two local black churches BLM banners were torn down and set on fire. Contee said the hate crime investigation into those incidents was underway and his officers would be near churches to prevent similar incidents.
With Associated Press