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FBI Says Armed Protests Planned for All 50 States
"As of 10 January, armed protests are being planned at all
50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20
January, and at the US Capitol from 17 January through 20
January," an internal FBI bulletin released on Monday said.
The FBI has received information recently about a group
calling for "storming" state, local, and federal government
courthouses and administrative buildings in the event Donald
Trump is removed as president prior to Inauguration Day.
"The FBI received information about an identified armed
group intending to travel to Washington, DC, on 16 January.
They have warned that if Congress attempts to remove POTUS
via the 25th Amendment a huge uprising will occur," the
report reads.
According to the report, the FBI has obtained information
that the group will storm government offices in every state
on January 20, even those that certified electoral votes for
Trump.
The bulletin included a map that showed the extent of law
enforcement activity related to potential threats
surrounding election certification and the inauguration.
The bulletin also names President-elect Joe Biden, Vice
President-elect Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy
Pelosi as targets of the armed groups on or before
Inauguration Day.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser on Monday asked Americans to
avoid travel to the city during the inauguration next week
and to participate virtually following last week's deadly
domestic terror attack on the US Capitol.
Speaking at a news conference Monday, Bowser stressed that
she was concerned about more violent actors potentially
coming to the city in the run-up to the inauguration,
saying, "If I'm scared of anything, it's for our democracy,
because we have very extreme factions in our country that
are armed and dangerous."
The National Guard is already mobilizing up to 15,000
National Guard troops to meet current and future requests
for the inauguration, a spokesman said early this week. The
dramatic increase in troops comes as law enforcement in the
nation's capital and around the country brace for further
extremist violence amid the transition of power.
The FBI has received nearly 45,000 digital media tips that
are now being reviewed.
On top of information being
distributed by the FBI, the Department of Homeland
Security's intelligence office, a day after the siege at the
Capitol, released situation report headlined "Threats
Surrounding the 2021 Electoral College Certification."
It opened this way: The
Office of Intelligence and Analysis "assesses individuals
harboring violent extremist ideologies and other violent
actors likely will continue to threaten or target elected
officials, other public figures, and members of the general
public who these actors perceive as opposing their
worldview, which is consistent with past attack plotting and
historical drivers for violent activity. (The Current and
Emerging Threats Center) remains in communication with the
Intelligence Community to ensure any threats concerning
government operations are identified."
As a result, state capitols
across the nation have stepped up security, deploying
National Guard units, SWAT teams and extra police officers
as several legislatures convened amid heightened safety
concerns.
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