District of Columbia officials prepare for reactions to election results
Carolina Patrickis, ABC7/Associated Press, with permission
WASHINGTON (ABC7) – Washington, D.C. officials and business owners are preparing for whatever may come on Election Day Tuesday.
Business owners are concerned that election results may lead to vandalism as happened last June during the George Floyd protests. Crews were busy across the downtown area placing boards over windows.
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Last week, Mayor Muriel Bowser discussed a number of preparations the city was making anticipation, including parking restrictions and road closures (more on those below).
“Some people would like to cause mayhem or trouble,” Bowser said. “We don’t have anything specific to report to you about that, but we will tell you that we are preparing to ensure the city’s safety.”
Battening Down the Hatches
Business owners seem to be anticipating mayhem, boarding up shopfronts and windows.
A federal law enforcement source confirmed to ABC News Monday morning that additional non-scalable temporary fencing would be erected around the White House perimeter.
Additional fencing has already been put up around Lafayette Square, as well.
Other cities around the nation are bracing for election-related unrest, as well, as activists get ready for what could be weeks of sustained street actions, depending on how the vote count goes and how President Donald Trump acts after his repeated refusals to say whether he will accept the results.
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At Blackfinn Restaurant, about a block from Black Lives Matter Plaza, general manager Yana Alekseeva, says they never took down the boards from the Floyd protests in June, when the restaurant was looted.
It is what it is and everybody’s trying to be cautious about what potentially could happen in the next few days,” she said.
Adding, “We’re not afraid or scared by any means. We are here to serve.”
What Demonstrators Are Readying For
In the nation’s capital, a collection of groups led by Black Lives Matter and Shutdown DC plan an eight-hour event at Black Lives Matter Plaza Tuesday, one block from the White House. It will include a giant screen showing election results, DJs and performances by bands playing Washington’s signature go-go music.
Robin Bell, a local activist who gained international notoriety for projecting sarcastic messages onto the side of Washington’s Trump International Hotel, will have two projections going in different parts of Washington.
Police say there are six groups that have applied for demonstration permits on Election Day and the days following.
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A recent training session for demonstrators led by BLM emphasized personal safety: Enter a protest with a trusted crew of friends; always look for a safe exit route; be aware of whether you’re standing on public, private or federal land; and know your rights in each case; drink plenty of water.
One slide advised participants that if a protestor is physically attacked, other demonstrators should “totally surround person being attacked and absorb them back into the crowd.”
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Demonstrators are gearing up for potential violence, especially after June, when Trump used federal law enforcement to clear the plaza outside the White House that had been filled with peaceful protesters.
“The police are readying for battle. We should be very clear about that,” April Goggans, a core organizer with the local Black Lives Matter affiliate, said during an Oct. 26 online training session.
Police Preparations
D.C. Police Chief Peter Newsham promised Thursday that his entire department would be working on Election Day. But his department is just one of many in D.C. Dozens of overlapping law enforcement agencies control certain landmarks and public spaces.
Mayor Bowser said the police department has a full contingent of officers. She said there are no plans to ask for help from D.C. National Guard.
“We want people who are peacefully protesting to be safe and we want to be able to identify and deal with people who might come here for mayhem and destruction,” Bowser said.
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Homeland Security Director for DC, Chris Rodriguez said he’s learned that the US Park Police are seeking 250 National Guard members to assist them.
Police officials have restricted the days officers can take off around the election and have spent tens of thousands of dollars on chemical irritants and other less-than-lethal riot-control munitions after much of the agency’s stockpile was depleted this summer.
City officials have not requested the use of National Guard troops for election-related violence, though some troops still remain activated amid the coronavirus pandemic, and there are reports that the U.S. Park Police have requested National Guard resources.
Newsham said there were no “credible threats right now of violence,” but did mention the groups that have applied for permits to conduct large demonstrations.
“We ask people if they’re going to come, we welcome people to come here to the District of Columbia to exercise their First Amendment rights, but we are not going to tolerate violence or unrest,” he said.
