CA State Capitol Stays Mostly Calm on Inauguration Day
01.20.2021 | Despite FBI warnings (1) and the predictions of many others, Inauguration Day went smoothly in the California State Capitol of Sacramento. Military vehicles and National Guard members have been stationed at the state capitol since as early as the 16th, but it would appear that anyone who wished harm to the Capitol either decided against attending or the threat was overestimated.
Image: A National Guardsman walks past the shadow of removed graffiti that reads “The People Hate You”; “George Floyd,” written to the right and even fainter, dates it to the 2020 uprising. Pink Knight Press.
The most “Stop the Steal” protesters that gathered at one time was six by my count. At one point, anti-fascist and anti-ICE protesters did make their way into the area in front of the Capitol’s fencing. About sixty members strong, the group came in shouting chants against both Joe Biden and Donald Trump (CW: strong language): “F*ck Trump, F*ck Biden too, they don’t give a f*ck about you” among others. They left as quickly as they came, leaving a banner, but not without being chased by dozens of bicycle-riding riot police. The banner, which read “Abolish ICE”, was quickly removed by law enforcement.
There was a palpable tension in the air. Almost every street surrounding the Capitol was packed with military and law enforcement vehicles and members. With the Army National Guard patrolling the streets, hundreds of police officers, a handful of identifiable FBI agents, and a dozen or more armored military vehicles occupying the Capitol building and the surrounding areas, it certainly seemed that law enforcement did not plan on underestimating threats on the State Capitol.
Summary:
Despite warnings from the FBI and threats of violence made in the days before the Inauguration, it would appear that all that was brought to Sacramento was a group of nonviolent anti-fascists and a great deal of law enforcement.
1: https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2021/01/11/sacramento-fbi-capital-cities-protests/
