Fences, drones, snipers, mobilization of National Guard members and other reinforcements have been “called in” in case riots break out
The USA has turned into a “fortress”, where draconian measures have been taken for fear of possible incidents on election day and the following.
Metal fences, drones, snipers, mobilization of National Guard members and other reinforcements have been “called in” in case riots break out.
In particular, metal security fences have been erected around the building at Las Vegas where the state’s votes are counted Nevada. Sheriff at Arizona has put his agency on high alert for potential riots, with drones and snipers at the ready. The National Guard has been mobilized in 19 states so far to help keep the peace.
The most obvious measures have been taken on ambiguous states which will decide the winner of the presidential election, such as Nevada where protests by Trump supporters broke out after the 2020 election.
This year metal security fences have cordoned off the site of the protests – the vote counting center in Las Vegas. Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said last week that he had activated a “restricted unit” of 60 National Guard members to ensure it could respond in a timely manner to any security challenge.
In Arizona, a similar metal fence has been installed at the Maricopa County polling station in downtown Phoenix, the focus of 2020 conspiracy theories about voter fraud and threats against elected officials.
Sheriff Russ Skinner said his agency has been put on “high alert” for threats and violence and has asked all personnel to be available.
“We’re going to have a lot of resources out there, a lot of personnel, a lot of equipment,” he added, explaining that police officers will be using drones to control the activity around the polling stations, while snipers and other reinforcements will be ready to deploy if violence becomes apparent.
Concerned about the possibility of protests or even violence, many schools and churches in Arizona that have been used as polling centers in the past will not serve as polling stations this year, a state election official told Reuters.
Michigan lobster
In the 2020 swing state of Michigan, Trump supporters flocked to the convention center in the heart of Detroit and began banging on the building’s windows as election officials counted the mail-in votes.
They are now installed bicycle stands as fences on both sides of the avenue where the convention center is located. Visitors must pass through a metal detector to enter, while around 15 police officers patrol the building at all times.
According to Daniel Baxter, Detroit’s election official, police officers are also present on the roof of the buildingbut also of the surrounding buildings.
Peter Simi, a sociology professor at Tupman University in California who has researched threats against public officials, said the worst-case scenario would be if the Republican loses and doesn’t admit defeat.
Simi added that he does not expect a repeat of incidents like the 2021 storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters. This year’s riots, in his estimation, will likely be “scattered, unconcentrated events in various areas” that will be more difficult for the forces of order to deal with.
Security measures have been taken by the authorities in other states as well, not only in the amphibious ones, for example in Oregon and Washington the governors have activated the national guard.
Source :Skai
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