Övünç Kutlu
11 January 2021•Update: 11 January 2021
ANKARA
Washington, D.C. is bracing to protect the safety of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on Jan. 20 just two weeks after a massive assault on Capitol Hill by President Donald Trump’s supporters.
US authorities and law enforcement have been preparing for more potential gatherings by the outgoing president's supporters as some online pro-Trump forums have been discussing further demonstrations, coupled with some organizers encouraging bringing firearms to Biden's inauguration.
A massive public protest by some groups of armed far-right protestors, scheduled for Jan. 17, has been in the works for weeks, according to a Saturday report by the Site Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist threats online.
Ahead of what organizers have dubbed a "Million Militia March" on Jan. 20 based on online chatter amid violent talk and vows to bring guns to Washington, D.C., in a letter Friday to the US Department of Homeland Security, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she is "extremely concerned" regarding inauguration preparations.
"While I will be reaching out to a broad range of local, regional, and federal partners to enhance cooperation among our bodies, I strongly urge the United States Department of Homeland Security to adjust its approach to the Inauguration in several specific ways," she wrote.
Last Wednesday, when Republicans lost two seats in Senate runoff elections in Georgia and control of Congress to the Democrats, thousands of pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol, forcing lawmakers to evacuate the building, in their attempt to block certification of Biden's election as president.
Five people died during and after the violence, including a Capitol police officer.
Trump announced Friday he will not be attending the presidential inauguration ceremony on Jan. 20, which Biden later called "a good thing, him not showing up."
