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Officials prep for possibility of violent protests at Arizona Capitol
AZ Big media
BUSINESS NEWS | 12 minutes ago | CRONKITE NEWS
The Arizona Capitol is surrounded by two rows of chain-link fence and police presence has been increased, as authorities brace for possible violence and Arizona Capitol protests in response to the inauguration next week of President-elect Joe Biden.
The preparations come amid reports that the FBI has warned of possible armed protests at all 50 state capitals next week, on the heels of the violent mob that breached the U.S. Capitol as Congress was certifying the election of Biden. Five people died in that attack, including a Capitol Police officer.
The FBI Phoenix office said Thursday that it “has not received any specific and substantiated threat to the Arizona state capitol or other government buildings,” but that it is working with state and local authorities to track security concerns.
Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bart Graves said in an email this week that the fences were installed around the Capitol complex “out of an abundance of caution” on Jan. 7, the day after the assault on the U.S. Capitol. Protesters also surrounded the state Capitol for hours the same day the U.S. Capitol was stormed, with some of the crowd in Arizona armed, according to news reports covering the Arizona Capitol protests.
Officials erected fences around the state Capitol complex last week after demonstrators, some armed, showed up to protest the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s win. That protest came the same day that a demonstration in Washington turned deadly, as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. (Photo by Jeff Rosenfield, Cronkite News)
Graves said that, in addition to the fence, “security procedures at the State Capitol were previously enhanced, not for one event, but to ensure the safety of the public” and that the situation is being monitored. But he declined to elaborate on those other measures for security reasons.
The preparations come amid reports that the FBI has warned of possible armed protests at all 50 state capitals next week, on the heels of the violent mob that breached the U.S. Capitol as Congress was certifying the election of Biden. Five people died in that attack, including a Capitol Police officer.
The FBI Phoenix office said Thursday that it “has not received any specific and substantiated threat to the Arizona state capitol or other government buildings,” but that it is working with state and local authorities to track security concerns.
Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson Bart Graves said in an email this week that the fences were installed around the Capitol complex “out of an abundance of caution” on Jan. 7, the day after the assault on the U.S. Capitol. Protesters also surrounded the state Capitol for hours the same day the U.S. Capitol was stormed, with some of the crowd in Arizona armed, according to news reports covering the Arizona Capitol protests.
Officials erected fences around the state Capitol complex last week after demonstrators, some armed, showed up to protest the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s win. That protest came the same day that a demonstration in Washington turned deadly, as a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. (Photo by Jeff Rosenfield, Cronkite News)
Graves said that, in addition to the fence, “security procedures at the State Capitol were previously enhanced, not for one event, but to ensure the safety of the public” and that the situation is being monitored. But he declined to elaborate on those other measures for security reasons.
Read more at link: https://azbigmedia.com/business/officials-prep-for-possibility-of-violent-protests-at-arizona-capitol/