A smattering of protesters and counter-protesters in Tallahassee.
TALLAHASSEE — Amid tight security, a small group of protesters gathered in front of the Florida Capitol on Wednesday as Joe Biden became the next president.
About a dozen people waved signs that falsely declared the election a “fraud” and urged someone to “stop the inauguration.”
Some motorists who passed by honked, presumably in support. One yelled “traitors!” at them.
Another leaned out of the window to shout “we can still win! Where we go one, we go all,” the slogan of QAnon, a nonsense conspiracy group that holds Biden and other top Democrats are pedophiles who would be arrested and thus keep Trump as president. Biden had already been sworn in for about 15 minutes.
Among the protesters was Robert Allen, who clutched a man-sized pillow embroidered with a cartoon of a Japanese woman.
“The more people show up, the more counter-protesters will show up,” he said. “It’s going to be a mess.’’
Allen, who had a MAGA hat clipped to his belt, said he was motivated to make the four-hour drive from his home in Brandon to “try to keep people safe.”
A few steps from Allen knelt Len Murray, 55, of Fort Lauderdale, holding a sign that read “UNITY: one country one flag.”
“The storming of the capitol on Jan. 6, it’s been a shock,” he said. “We need unity, and to listen to each other.”
He said Biden would be the perfect man to bring the country together.
Nearby, a drone operated by agents of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement hovered overhead. An officer could be seen patrolling the roof of the Florida State Senate office building.
Security was more present than it had been earlier in the morning, but officers were not visibly patrolling the Capitol at ground level, and cops in tactical gear only appeared when they left the building, seemingly headed to lunch.
Law enforcement has been on high alert since an FBI warning issued last week that pro-President Trump extremists might attack in all 50 state capitals starting Sunday and onto Wednesday. But on Sunday, only a handful of protesters and counter-demonstrators showed up.