Protests Spring up at Several Statehouses as Siege at US Capitol Unfolds
Supporters of President Donald Trump staged rallies on Wednesday outside statehouses in several cities, including Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix and Salt Lake City that coincided with the storming of the U.S. Capitol in…
Supporters of President Donald Trump staged rallies on Wednesday outside statehouses in several cities, including Atlanta, Denver, Phoenix and Salt Lake City that coincided with the storming of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, local news media said.
Protesters swarmed into the Kansas statehouse in Topeka and gathered inside the first floor of the Capitol rotunda, though the rally remained orderly, television station KSNT reported.
There were no immediate reports of violence, despite the flurry of demonstrations by pro-Trump demonstrators echoing his baseless claims that he was robbed of a re-election victory due to voter fraud.
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said on Twitter that he had instructed city agencies to close municipal offices early in Colorado’s state capital “out of an abundance of caution” after about 700 demonstrators gathered at the statehouse downtown.
“My hope is that this situation will be resolved quickly. Pray for our nation,” he tweeted.
A major courthouse complex and two other government buildings in Atlanta, the capital of Georgia, were also ordered closed due to protests near the statehouse.
Among those whose daily routines were altered were aides to Georgia’s secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, the Republican election official pressured by Trump in a weekend telephone call to “find” enough additional votes for the president to overturn the November victory of President-elect Joe Biden, due to take office in two weeks.
Raffensperger’s spokesman, Walter Jones, said staff left their offices after lunch out of an abundance of caution because of protests. He said Raffensperger was not in the office at the time.