US officials are strengthening security measures in Washington DC and across the country as the FBI said far-right groups – many using social media – were continuing to threaten plots before Joe Biden’s inauguration as president on 21 January.
As the National Park Service closed the Washington Monument, and the grounds of the US Capitol – which were stormed by a mob of pro-Trump extremists last week – were closed to visitors, with some 10,000 national guard being deployed across DC, the FBI said far-right extremist groups were planning armed protests in all 50 state capitals and in Washington, DC.
“Our focus is not on peaceful protesters, but on those threatening their safety and the safety of other citizens with violence and destruction of property,” the FBI said in a statement.
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The continuing threats, which have prompted social media companies to remove accounts associated with individuals espousing the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory, have resulted in efforts to impose security measures being moved forward several days in an attempt to protect the inauguration – an all-ticket event.
The DC mayor, Muriel Bowser, has also called on the National Park Service to deny all demonstration permits in the run-up to the inauguration.
The outgoing homeland security secretary, Chad Wolf, said on Monday that he had moved up the timing of the “national special security event” for Biden’s inauguration to Wednesday, instead of 19 January citing the “events of the past week”, along with an “evolving security landscape”.
Wolf’s statement came as Trump – widely blamed for inciting the violence last week – issued an an emergency declaration for the US capital allowing the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate with local authorities as needed.
The warnings have prompted various states to introduce emergency measures, including Michigan, which banned the open carrying of firearms inside its state capitol, and Wisconsin, whose governor activated the national guard to support capitol police in Madison.
In California, the governor, Gavin Newsom, said authorities were “on high alert” for protests in Sacramento in the coming days, adding the national guard would be deployed if necessary.
The continuing threats were underlined by protests that have occurred since the storming of Congress including heavily-armed demonstrators surrounded the Kentucky capitol, some of them with zip ties.
While anti-extremism experts note that planning for some of the protests in militia circles began in November following Trump’s defeat by Biden, the events in the last week have fanned the flames.
Washington, however, seems likely to remain the focus, with another march planned for Sunday although it is not clear if it will go ahead.
Already hoteliers and Airbnb have reportedly begun checking some of those booked in ahead of the inauguration while some airlines have insisted they will not tolerate any unruly protesters.
PayPal Holdings Inc also said on Monday it had blocked a Christian crowdfunding site, GiveSendGo, after it helped raise funds for people who attended last week’s event in Washington when Trump supporters of stormed the capitol.
Bloomberg reported last week that PayPal had closed an account held by Joy In Liberty, one of the groups that paid for supporters of Trump to travel to Washington.
Representatives of GiveSendGo, which describes itself as “a place to fund hope. A place to work together with the body of Christ around the world to make a difference”, could not be immediately reached for comment.
The Biden inauguration will be held on stands at the same location at the US Capitol where pro-Trump extremists broke in last week.
But the two events are not comparable from a security standpoint, said Michael Plati, US Secret Service special agent in charge, who is leading the inauguration security.
Agencies contributed to this report
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