The FBI has warned of possible armed protests being planned for Washington, D.C., and at all 50 U.S. state capital cities in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, a federal law enforcement source said on Monday.
Faced with threats of move violence from supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump, the National Guard was authorized to send up to 15,000 troops to Washington, and tourists were barred from visiting the Washington Monument.
Biden’s inaugural committee said on Monday the theme of the Jan. 20 ceremony will be “America United,” even as the country grapples with the fallout of last Wednesday’s storming of the Capitol by Trump loyalists.
The law enforcement source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the FBI warnings were from Jan. 16 and at least through Jan. 20 for state capitals and for the three days leading up to Inauguration Day in Washington D.C.
The Chief of the National Guard Bureau, General Daniel Hokanson, told reporters he expected about 10,000 troops to be in Washington by Saturday and they would focus on supporting security, logistics, and communications.
