Armed Unrest Anticipated On Inaugration Day Of Biden And Harris, Hints FBI

U.S. security officials have warned of possible protests and further riots (armed) in the country in the days leading up to Joe Biden’s inauguration.

There are reports of armed groups planning to meet in all 50 state capitols and in Washington DC ahead of his January 20 inauguration.

Security plans are being tightened at the event, which will take place two weeks after a Trump-backed mob stormed Congress.

The House Democrats say a presidential impeachment vote will take place on Wednesday.

January 4 Capitol Violence

President Trump is accused of “incitement of insurrection” and the vote will be held unless Vice-President Mike Pence invokes constitutional powers to remove Mr Trump from office. There is no sign Mr Pence is prepared to do so.

Mr Biden and his elected Deputy President Kamala Harris are expected to be sworn in at a ceremony at the Capitol. The Biden team has already urged Americans to avoid going to the capital over the Covid-19 pandemic, a call made by local authorities following last week’s violence.

Security officials have said there will be no repeat of the breach seen on 6 January, when thousands of pro-Trump supporters were able to break into the building where members of Congress were voting to certify the election result.

Five people died in the riots, which took place after Mr Trump reiterated allegations of fraud in the November vote and urged his supporters to march on the Capitol.

Since then, the announcement of Mr. Trump’s resignation, removal or indictment has grown among Democrats and other Republicans. Mr Trump has not made public statements since being banned from several social media platforms – including Twitter – on Friday.

He became the third US president to be impeached in December 2019 over charges of breaking the law by asking Ukraine to investigate his rival in the presidential election. The Senate cleared him.

Essential Dates

• Tuesday: The House of Representatives will vote on a resolution calling on Vice-President Pence and the cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment to declare the president unfit for office and remove him immediately. The resolution is likely to pass as Democrats hold a majority, but Mr Pence has shown no sign he is planning to act
• Wednesday: Democrats vow to hold a vote on impeachment. As they have a majority, Mr Trump is likely to become the first president to be impeached twice. The single article of impeachment – a formal charge – will then need to be sent to the Senate where a trial will be held but the timeline is not known
• 20 January: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are sworn in as president and vice-president

FBI’s Warning

Posts on pro-Trump networks and on the right internet have called for several days of protests, including armed protests in cities across the country on January 17 and a march in Washington DC on the opening day itself.

An internal FBI report, reported by ABC News and other stores, contains a warning that one party wants to “storm” the state, local and federal courthouses around the country if Mr Trump is removed from office early and on inauguration day if he is not.

Although violence at the US Capitol dominated the news last week, similar incidents were reported in other parts of the country. Local police forces have been told by law enforcement agencies to increase security at state buildings, according to US media.

FBI warnings are now available on all state headlines from January 16 to 20 and in Washington DC at least three days before the inauguration.

Twitter claims to have set up more than 70,000 accounts that promote the Q-Anon conspiracy and Facebook claims they have banned any content targeted at Stop the Steal, a slogan in line with Mr Trump’s request that the election be selfish.

Security Measures In Place For The Inauguration Day

More than 10,000 national troops will be in the capital over the weekend, and about extra availability of 5,000 at the request, said National Guard Bureau General Daniel Hokanson. At the inauguration of Mr. Trump in 2017, about 8,000 National Security Forces were deployed.

Meanwhile, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has called for more security after what he described as “unprecedented terrorist attacks” at the US Capitol last week.

The National Park Service has announced that it has closed the Washington Memorial to visitors amid “serious threats” to violence, adding that it could also close National Mall and Memorial Parks.

Speaking as he received his second Covid-19 vaccine on Monday, Mr Biden said he was “not afraid” to take his oath of office despite security concerns.