In photos: D.C. and U.S. states on alert for violence ahead of Biden inauguration
17 January 2021
Security has been stepped up in Washington, D.C., and in states across the U.S. as authorities brace for potential violence this weekend.
Driving the news: Following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol by some supporters of President Trump, the FBI has said there could be armed protests in D.C. and in all 50 state capitols in the run-up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration Wednesday.
Members of the National Guard at a street junction in Washington, D.C., Jan. 16. Trump has appealed for calm and there's been no major trouble so far, though the Washington Post notes most rallies are planned for Jan. 17. Photo: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Minnesota officials have beefed up security at the State Capitol in St. Paul Jan. 16, deploying the National Guard and blocking off surrounding roads to protect the building, per Axios Local reporter Torey Van Oot. The scene remained quiet, with fewer than two dozen Trump supporters showing up to protest, reporters in the area note. Photo: Kerem Yucel/AFP via Getty Images
Trump supporters at a small rally outside the state capitol in Austin, Texas, Jan. 16. Authorities have closed state government buildings to the public through Jan. 20 after learning of plans for "armed protests" there, the Austin American-Statesman reports. Photo: Sergio Flores/Getty Images
An "OFF LIMITS" sign at the steps of the Capitol Building in Frankfort, Kentucky, on Jan. 16. Gov. Andy Beshear (D) announced the state capitol will close Jan. 17, noting there have been "domestic terror threats against state capitols all over the United States." Photo: Jon Cherry/Getty Images
A lone Trump supporter in Salem, Oregon, on Jan. 16. Oregon State Police were doing frequent patrols and the state's National Guard was on standby, but only a handful of protesters showed up and there were no reports of trouble, the Statesman Journal notes. Photo: Nathan Howard/Getty Images
A sign on Jan. 14 notifies the public that the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg is closed to visitors. The city's Mayor Eric Papenfuse said traffic will be restricted around the Capitol complex Jan. 17 and there'll be a strong police presence in the area. Photo: Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
PHOENIX: All quiet this morning at the Arizona State Capitol complex. A second line of fencing is up + barbed wire. #CapitolWatch@NewsNationNowpic.twitter.com/tB17SqucZP
— Nancy Loo (@NancyLoo) January 16, 2021
Gov. Gavin Newsom has activated 1,000 Cal Guard Soldiers and Airmen to protect lives and property and our 1st Amendment rights to peaceful free speech and assembly before Inauguration Day next week.https://t.co/uuB8w6TYGh
— The California National Guard (@CalGuard) January 15, 2021
Today, 9,500 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from 46 states, 3 territories and DC are supporting civilian authorities responsible for the inauguration. #Inauguration2021pic.twitter.com/SiyLbh6xJN
— National Guard (@USNationalGuard) January 16, 2021
Photos of the Day: National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from all 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia are supporting law enforcement through the 59th Presidential Inauguration. More: https://t.co/26phd2dYnw 📷: https://t.co/oeZbLLd52Z#Inauguration2021pic.twitter.com/GPL2L1W08s
— National Guard (@USNationalGuard) January 15, 2021
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.