SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan. 12, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — The Salt Lake City Police Department issued a statement Monday saying it “will not allow violence from any group” ahead of possible protests in the coming days and weeks.
The statement released Monday afternoon says: “We are aware of plans to protest at the state capitol and elsewhere in coming weeks. We are working diligently with locate, state and federal agencies on a safety plan. We will not allow violence from any group and we are committed to our duty to keep the peace.”
The Utah Highway Patrol has also announced it will be keeping its troopers in Utah rather than sending them to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, since that ceremony has been scaled down due to COVID-19.
The FBI revealed Monday it has received information indicating “armed protests” are being planned at all 50 state capitols and the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC in the days leading up to Biden’s inauguration on Jan. 20, CNN is reporting.
“Armed protests are being planned at all 50 state capitols from 16 January through at least 20 January, and at the U.S. Capitol from 17 January through 20 January,” the FBI bulletin states. It also suggests there are threats of an “uprising” if Trump is removed via the 25th Amendment before Inauguration Day.
“On 8 January, the FBI received information on an identified group calling for others to join them in ‘storming’ state, local and federal government courthouses and administrative buildings in the event POTUS is removed as president prior to Inauguration Day,” the bulletin added. “This identified group is also planning to ‘storm’ government offices including in the District of Columbia and in every state, regardless of whether the states certified electoral votes for Biden or Trump, on 20 January.”
The FBI is also tracking reports of “various threats to harm President-Elect Biden ahead of the presidential inauguration,” the bulletin stated. “Additional reports indicate threats against VP-Elect Harris and Speaker Pelosi.”
As a mob of rioters forced their way into the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, smaller groups gathered at nearly every state capitol across the country — including Utah — to protest the 2020 presidential election.
The local demonstrations were largely peaceful, unlike in Washington, D.C., which left five people dead.
Gephardt Daily will have more on this developing story as information is made available.
