WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 12th January, 2021) The situation near the building that houses both chambers of US Congress in Washington, DC remains calm in the wake of last week's riots with only tourists and a few film crews in the vicinity, a Sputnik correspondent reports.
Preparations for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, scheduled for January 20, continue. However, the FBI is warning that armed protests are being planned in all 50 US state capitols in the final days up to Biden's inauguration, ABC news reported on Monday, citing a bulletin sent out by the agency.
National Guard officers stand behind a metal fence that was put up here after the riots in the Congress building last week. They are all unarmed. Passers-by sometimes stop to have a few words with them.
There are several police cars not far from the Capitol, but there are no personnel on the streets.
Meanwhile, people are carrying more and more flowers to the posters with the name of the policeman who died during the riots - a kind of memorial in front of the Capitol.
"Officer Sicknick, thank you!," along with "Rest in Peace, Defender of the US Capitol and Democracy," the captions on posters read. At the same time, posters with the Names of four deceased protesters at the congress have disappeared.
On Monday, there are no supporters of outgoing US President Donald Trump near the Capitol.
But there is a supporter of impeachment to Trump, who introduced himself as Bill Zouaki from Oregon. He is holding a sign that says "Impeachment."
"He [Trump] should have been impeached within 24 hours after what happened here," says Bill.
In his opinion, Trump is to blame for inciting rebellion.
Last week, Twitter warned that it has seen plans for future armed protests circulating on and off its platform, including a second attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17.
On Wednesday, a large group of President Donald Trump's supporters stormed the Capitol building in a bid to prevent lawmakers from certifying the presidential election results. Trump supporters - some of which were armed with metal pipes, chemical irritants, and other weapons - clashed with police and damaged property before seizing the rotunda and inauguration stage. The event was the most significant breach of the US Capitol grounds since the British set fire to it in 1814. Following the unrest, Trump has been blocked on all major social media platforms.
Congressional Democrats on Monday took the first steps to try to remove Trump from office immediately. The House of Representatives is expected to pass a resolution this week urging Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from power. However, if that fails then House Democrats will pursue impeachment charges against the president for allegedly inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol.
