In Washington, the capital, in order to prevent the summer riots from recurring, the federal authorities plan to install temporary fences around the White House; in Michigan, because many people are worried about activists, gun shops have encountered “runs”; and in Manhattan, New York, many Businesses covered their display windows with wooden boards early in the morning, and many commercial lots reverberated with the sound of beating and beating… On the last day of the US election day, all parts of the United States were waiting, especially the police nerves.
Federal authorities are expected to re-install temporary fences around the entire White House on November 2, the last day before the U.S. election day. This is similar to the preventive method used during anti-racism demonstrations this summer.
Fences are added outside the White House, Washington is on guard
According to CNN, in order to prevent possible riots in Washington before and after the U.S. election, the federal authorities installed temporary fences around the entire White House on November 2, the last day before the U.S. election day. The preventive approach during the anti-racism demonstrations this summer was similar.
CNN cited sources familiar with the matter as saying that in addition to the White House itself, the nearby Lafayette Square and Oval Lawn will also be fenced.
Not only that, as Washington DC Police Chief Peter Newsom issued a warning in October that some form of riots may occur after the election.
The surrounding areas of the White House are under high alert, including supermarkets, banks, flower shops, coffee shops, and hotels. And some federal government departments have used wooden boards to reinforce their doors and windows, and some road sections have been posted with emergency notices on election day and the next day.
In fact, for most of this year, the surrounding area of the White House has been basically in a state of lockdown. The official reasons given are various, including the construction of the White House gate, the protests this summer, and the subsequent “smashing, looting” incident . However, CNN analysis said that the upgrade of security measures the day before the general election still caused widespread concern, which means that the government is also preparing for the turmoil after this year’s general election, especially when no winners can be produced in a short time. .
Regarding the tense situation, Patrick Burke, executive director of the Washington DC Police Foundation, said that Washington DC police have been preparing for more than a year to ensure that they can deal with issues such as civil unrest, crowd control, and subway traffic interference. Burke also said that the police have been cooperating with intelligence officials to ensure that the airspace of Washington, D.C. is safe and sound in the event of a high-altitude attack.
“If there is no winner (for the general election) for the time being, you will see large-scale deployment of police officers at all levels in the capital.” Burke said, “The officers will cancel vacations, extend their shifts, and deploy them throughout the city.”
Businessmen rush to install wooden boards, and there is a sound of construction in the New York business district
Also on November 2nd, the day before the election day, shops in major business districts in Manhattan, New York, nailed wooden boards outside their windows, reflecting the general anxiety of retailers.
People have noticed that the window of the Saks Fifth Avenue boutique department store, which has been amazed by tourists for decades, was covered with wooden boards early in the morning; the Soho business district, which once gathered countless fashion shoppers, is now reverberating with the sound of hammers. ; And on the sidewalk outside the Disney Store in Times Square, there are no more children to linger about, only workers busy using plywood to reinforce doors and windows.
The New York Times commented that on the eve of election day, New York City’s world-famous shopping districts were slowly recovering from the impact of the new crown epidemic, but now they have to use wooden boards to seal their shining windows, even outside Manhattan. In the Bronx and Brooklyn, plywood is still everywhere, reflecting the “national anxiety” surrounding this US election-people are increasingly worried that no matter who wins, the outcome of the election may lead to violence.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on November 2 that 1.1 million voters in the city have participated in the early voting, but because the results of the general election may not be released in the general election, many people are worried about social unrest. He said that there has been no evidence of election fraud. He hopes that the political power will be transferred peacefully after the election results are released. However, the city police department has been prepared for all possible situations. “I think citizens should maintain their current living conditions. We will also inform the citizens of situations that require special prevention.”
Regarding the practice of many businesses in New York installing wooden boards outside their windows to prevent robbery, de Blasio said that the city government has not instructed businesses to prevent riots, but if businesses believe that there is a threat, the city government will also respect the closure of businesses and take protective measures. Decided.
Guns are in short supply, Michigan people demand self-protection
According to a number of US media reports on November 2, the gun shops in Michigan have been “emptied” by people who bought guns a few days ago because of concerns that large-scale riots may occur after the presidential election.
A Detroit gun shop owner named Bill Kucyk said his shop was recently overwhelmed by people who were “hurriedly rushing to the doctor” and eager to obtain weapons. Many local gun shop owners have a deep understanding of the situation reported by Kusick.
“They don’t even know the process (using weapons).” Cusick said, “They just want to buy a gun-I get about 100 calls on this issue every day.” He said that many people are worried if the election The result is questioned, and fierce riots that last for several weeks may occur, so I stock up guns in advance, and I am trying to meet this demand.
“Usually, I have about 100 guns in this cabinet, but they have been sold out twice.” Cusick pointed to the empty shelf in front of him and said, “The shop has been emptied several times.”
In the last few weeks, Michigan has become a hot spot for activists across the United States. One of the most notable incidents was that FBI agents and Michigan State Police took action on the evening of October 7 and arrested 6 suspects for attempting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. These people were sued for conspiracy to kidnap, and if convicted, they could face life imprisonment.
In another related case, 7 men were charged with terrorism-related charges. They are suspected of providing training for terrorist operations, including the conspiracy to attack the Michigan State Capitol and the kidnapping of state officials including Whitmer.
The analysis believes that considering the frequent activities of militants, the residents of Michigan are arming themselves because they fear that in the event of a controversial election result, unimaginable violence may occur. As a swing state that is very critical for the general election, Michigan is at a greater risk of violence than other states.
Police across the United States are waiting, and security work suddenly becomes popular
As the countdown to the final day of the U.S. election, not only Washington, New York, and Detroit, but also Los Angeles, Chicago, Minneapolis, Boston and other cities have been waiting for it. In stepping up patrols, various departments generally did not dare to neglect.
Due to the highly polarized political environment this year, delays in the election results or large fluctuations in the number of votes during the counting of votes, etc., it may aggravate the candidates’ doubts about the counting of votes, and it may also happen that a candidate has not obtained enough electoral votes. At that time, he declared his victory on his own, and even called for the cessation of the counting of votes. American public opinion and some experts worry that, given the growing disagreements in American society and the continued spread of extreme emotions, any uncertainty may cause chaos in the election and even lead to violent conflict.
In such a social atmosphere, the police departments across the United States have to be in a state of high tension. Many large cities, including the capital, Washington, have begun to restrict police leave time to ensure sufficient police force, and even additional funds to purchase less lethal ones. Ammunition and chemical irritants. The National Guard has also set up a response force, ready to deal with social unrest that may occur at any time.
In cities such as Las Vegas, the police are in a dilemma. They both want to be highly vigilant against related threats and worry that being stationed outside the polling station may affect voting. In the end, they had to decide to adopt “frequent but random patrols.” This places great demands on the police. In addition, some emergency departments have conducted exercises on scenes such as violent clashes between Biden and Trump supporters, the sudden emergence of armed paramilitary organizations, cyber attacks or bomb attacks, which has made law enforcement personnel nervous in recent days. stretch.
“This is such a polarized environment, and many people are angry.” John Cohen, a former Department of Homeland Security counter-terrorism coordinator with 34 years of law enforcement experience, said, “I have never seen such a dynamic, complex and dangerous as we are now. The environment.” At present, senior law enforcement officials in major cities across the United States are still trying to create a calm atmosphere for the general election. They do not want to overemphasize dangerous events, but they have opened their eyes to some terrible consequences.
In addition, because the security situation is not optimistic, security has suddenly become a popular job recently. According to the National Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), as many businesses across the country are preparing for the possible social unrest caused by the general election, some companies plan to close their doors early on election day and hire night security for some stores. In the last two weeks of October, about 310 companies in the United States ordered protective panels to strengthen doors and windows, and dozens of companies requested additional security guards on election day.
