Almost all 50 state capitals see little to no protest activity
AUSTIN, Texas - On Wednesday, it was all hands on deck at the Texas State Capitol in preparation for the worst.
National Guard, Austin Police, and DPS Troopers could be found on the Capitol grounds, Governor’s Mansion, and around the building’s perimeter, with some in full riot gear.
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"At this point in time, you're seeing what they want you to see and they are hiding what they don't want you to see. Sometimes showing an overwhelming amount of force means, you won't have to use it," said Wayne Vincent, private investigator and former Austin police sergeant.
A handful of both Biden and Trump supporters stopped by the Capitol in the morning. By the afternoon, the front steps were clear.
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"I think it's a good thing, right? We didn't have any protesters or rioters show up," said Brian Lynch, former FBI agent and executive director of safety and security for RANE.
Last week, the FBI warned all 50 state capitals of possible armed protests in the days leading up to and on Inauguration Day. Lynch says he thinks that message did its job. "I think it was critical. I think the message was received. I think the visible nature of the security and the overwhelming security presence certainly had a deterrent effect," he said.
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Almost all 50 capitals saw little to no protest activity in the days leading up to Inauguration Day.
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Political science professor Brian Smith says he credits that to the consequences of the riot attack on the US Capitol and increased security at the local level. "These people realize, if we do anything wrong, we're not only going to go to jail, we're going to be arrested to the fullest extent of the law, and maybe a federal charge so that's enough to scare anybody from doing anything illegal, he said.
Even though Inauguration Day is over, Lynch says that doesn't mean the threat is over. "By no means is the threat reduced, or is it something that we should not be worried about? No, it's a continual issue," said Lynch.
Texas DPS has announced that the State Capitol grounds will reopen to the public on Thursday.