St. Cloud Times
Statehouses across the nation are bracing for the potential of more violence after the FBI warned of possible armed protests at state capitol buildings beginning Sunday and through the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.
St. Cloud Times journalists are in St. Paul and will be updating this story with reports from the Minnesota State Capitol throughout the day.
Gov. Tim Walz activated the Minnesota National Guard Wednesday amid threats to state capitols. A fence has been in place around the Minnesota State Capitol since last summer.
An FBI alert issued last month said followers of the right-wing Boogaloo movement had conducted reconnaissance at the Capitol in St. Paul, and a few followers of the movement attended demonstrations in December to prepare for possible violence at a rally scheduled for this Sunday.
The state said it would maintain a strong law enforcement presence at the complex and elsewhere in the event that rallies or other gatherings break the peace.
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Minnesota s top public safety officials said Friday they have detailed precautions set up ahead of weekend protests, but there are no credible threats against the Minnesota Capitol.
An FBI bulletin from the end of December said there was evidence that right-wing extremists would target the Minnesota and Michigan capitols on Sunday. But Public Safety Commissioner John Harrington said that is dated material, and an FBI official told him during a briefing Friday morning that there is no credible immediate threat to Minnesota.
Harrington, Gov. Tim Walz and leaders of the Minnesota National Guard, St. Paul Police and State Patrol sought to reassure Minnesotans at a news conference amid concerns about violence breaking out.
UpdatedSun, Jan 17, 2021 at 7:09 pm ET
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Donald Trump supporters gather around the Michigan State Capitol Building to protest the certification of Joe Biden as the next president of the United States. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)
ACROSS AMERICA As small groups of armed protesters approached some state capitols across the country on Sunday, the nation remains on high alert in the days ahead of the inauguration and in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. capitol.
A small group of them gatehered outside the Michigan Capitol early Sunday, but left by the early afternoon. The group was limited to 10-20 demonstrators, who were far outnumbered by police, according to reports.
The level of concern after a December FBI report warning of extremist activity has dropped, but authorities will still increase security efforts over the next several days