Washington DC braces for unrest as Congress meets to certify US election result

Shops are being boarded up in the US capital

Credit: EPA

National Guard troops will be deployed in Washington DC as the US capital braces for potential unrest ahead of Congress’ vote to formally certify Joe Biden’s election victory. 

Some 340 National Guard troops will reportedly be mobilised in the city ahead of planned protests by Donald Trump’s supporters which have sparked fears of potentially violent clashes.

The president’s supporters are planning to hold rallies on Tuesday and Wednesday to bolster Mr Trump’s unproven claims of widespread voter fraud.

Mr Trump has encouraged his supporters to attend the demonstrations on January 6, to coincide with a vote in Congress to certify the electoral college results. 

The president has hinted he may attend the protests himself, tweeting on Sunday: "I will be there. Historic Day!"

I will be there. Historic day! https://t.co/k6LStsWpfy

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2021

However, Muriel Bowser, Washington DC’s mayor, has urged people to stay away from the city’s downtown area amid fears the protests may turn violent. 

These fears were echoed by the city’s police chief Robert Contee on Monday, who warned during a press conference: "There are people intent on coming to our city armed". 

A pro-Trump rally in December ended in violence as hundreds of Trump supporters, wearing the signature black and yellow of the far-right Proud Boys group, sought out confrontations with a collective of local activists attempting to bar them from Black Lives Matter Plaza, an area near the White House.

I am asking Washingtonians and those who live in the region to stay out of the downtown area on Tuesday and Wednesday and not to engage with demonstrators who come to our city seeking confrontation, and we will do what we must to ensure all who attend remain peaceful.

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) January 4, 2021

Officials believe this week’s protests could be larger than any other demonstration to date which has been held in the aftermath of November’s election. 

Businesses in downtown Washington have already begun boarding up their windows in preparation for the protests. 

According to a US defence official, Mayor Bowser has requested to have National Guard members on the streets from Tuesday to Thursday to help with the protests. 

The official said the additional forces will be used for traffic control and other assistance but they will not be armed or wearing body armour. 

Some 340 National Guard members will be activated, with about 115 on duty in the streets at any given time, according to the official.

At least four protests are expected on Wednesday. The US National Park Service — which manages federal land — said it has received three separate applications for pro-Trump protests on Tuesday or Wednesday, with an estimated maximum attendance at around 15,000 people. 

On Monday, a stage was being assembled for one of the protests on The Ellipse, just south of the White House.

Organisers plan to rally on Tuesday evening at Freedom Plaza and again all day Wednesday on the Ellipse, including a 1 pm Wednesday march to the Capitol. 

Among those expected to attend are Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who attempted to help the president overturn the election result, and Republican strategist Roger Stone, a longtime friend of Mr Trump whose three-year prison sentence was recently commuted by the president.