States calling out troops, closing capitols ahead of rallies

Responding to warnings of potentially violent demonstrations, governors across the nation are calling out National Guard troops, closing their capitols to the public and declaring states of emergency ahead of President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next week.

Though details remain murky, demonstrations are expected at state capitols beginning Sunday and leading up to Biden’s succession of President Donald Trump on Wednesday. State officials hope to avoid the type of violence that occurred Jan. 6, when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol; a Capitol Police officer and four others died.

The FBI has warned of the potential for violence at all state capitols and has said it is tracking an “extensive amount of concerning online chatter,” including calls for armed protests.

Governors across the country are sending thousands of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., where the National Mall has been closed to the general public as part of an intense security effort. More than a dozen governors also have called out the guard to protect their own state capitols and aid local law enforcement officers.

“We are prepared for the worst, but we remain hopeful that those who choose to demonstrate at our Capitol do so peacefully, without violence or destruction of property,” Michigan State Police Col. Joe Gasper said Friday, as Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced the guard’s role.

Crews installed a 6-foot fence around the Michigan Capitol ahead of expected protests, and ground-level windows were boarded up at a nearby building that houses the governor’s office. Gasper said an increased state police presence would remain at the statehouse at least through mid-February.

In Wisconsin, law enforcement officials were reducing parking around the capitol building in Madison this weekend and urging people to avoid the area as they braced for potential unrest. There was only one known organized event for the day, an anti-fascist demonstration where free food, drinks and clothes were to be distributed.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is mobilizing up to 1,000 guard troops over concerns of civil unrest. State officials Thursday erected a chain-link fence around the Capitol, bolstering other temporary and permanent barriers. The California Highway Patrol is refusing to issue permits for rallies at the Capitol.

Other governors were encouraging people to stay away from capitol buildings during the coming days. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, closed the Capitol until after Biden’s inauguration and activated hundreds of guard troops. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb, a Republican, said Friday that officials “decided to err on the side of caution” and close the Capitol from Monday through Wednesday.

Legislatures in several states, including Indiana and Michigan, were canceling or limiting their work next week.