Conservative online forums have been buzzing with far-right activists discussing an upcoming protest scheduled for today in Washington, DC. The march was scheduled to coincide with the congressional certification of the election. However, the forums have also been filled with threats and expectations of violence. Due to this development, May Muriel Bowser has asked residents to avoid the downtown area. Every police officer in the city will be on duty and the National Guard has been mobilized in anticipation of violence.
Daniel J. Jones, the president of Advance Democracy Inc., a global research organization, stated that the violent rhetoric witnessed on the online forums in advance of the protests was at a new level. There were endorsements of violence across all platforms and social media in which protestors were gearing up for the march. Advance Democracy detailed a wide variety of posts about the protests, many of which called for people to arm themselves.
Read More: Violent threats ripple through far-right internet forums ahead of protest
