OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 7:39 AM PT – Monday, January 18, 2021
Protesters gathered at state houses across the country to voice their frustrations ahead of Inauguration Day.
A number of state capitols were heavily fortified in preparation for what some officials believed might be violent demonstrations on Sunday. This came after the FBI issued a warning to Washington, D.C. and all 50 states about potential armed protests.
However, demonstrations remained relatively peaceful. The majority of these state houses saw only a couple dozen protesters at most, while some state capitol streets were even empty.
Good morning from the MN State Capitol. At 8am, dozens of state trooper vehicles were positioned around the complex. I haven’t seen any one else out on foot, birds are singing. pic.twitter.com/iCQyznO9BP
— Ben Hovland (@benjovland) January 17, 2021
Some protesters, such as those in the open-carry state of Ohio, were armed, but not violent. By the end of the day, there were reportedly no clashes and several demonstrators voiced they had no intention of committing violence.
Meanwhile, officials at several state capitols said they still plan to remain heavily guarded as a precaution leading up to January 20.