Washington is preparing for huge pro-Trump rallies as the date for counting of the Electoral College votes inches closer.
Historically, this day used to be very mundane but this year President Donald Trump has encouraged his voters to gather for mass protests in the city on January 6. This is the last effort on his part to coerce the Republicans into supporting his voter fraud allegations and override the election results that declare Joe Biden as the winner.
After Biden’s win was announced in November, the country saw several pro-Trump protests that resulted in harassment and violent threats. Due to this, the law enforcement agencies are preparing themselves for possibly the biggest and most extreme protest yet when Biden’s win will be officially certified.
Trump supporters are marketing the protest online to get as many voters as possible to come to Washington on January 6. A website called WildProtest.com has been set up by supporters for this purpose.
On New Year’s Eve, Trump posted the timings of the protest on Twitter, which will be held at 11 AM on January 6.
The District of Columbia’s Attorney General has expressed his concerns about the protests, saying that even though he is extremely prepared, he is anxious about the white supremacist group, the Proud Boys appearing at the protests. They are known to incite street violence and damage property. He also criticized Trump for encouraging these extremist groups.
A hotel in the city, Harrington Hotel, has released a statement that they will be shutting down for three days until the votes are certified. The Proud Boys have previously stayed at the hotel multiple times and the hotel has stated that they want to protect their guests and employees and ensure their safety.
In addition to the hotel, several other buildings and restaurants have been shut down in preparation for the protests after facing serious property damage previously during the Million MAGA March and the BLM protests.
Around 140 Republicans from the House of Representatives have also claimed they will be challenging the vote certification process and Biden’s win. Senator Josh Hawley announced that his mission is to pressurize Congress into debating the problem on January 6.
Even though debates will ensue, the Democrats are in control of the House and several Republicans have also claimed they will not support Trump’s voter fraud allegations so the election outcome is unlikely to change.
