Intelligence experts warn of far-right protests and assaults before and after Inauguration Day
Far-right extremist groups may be exiled from social media platforms, but according to U.S. officials and intelligence experts, they are still planning to move forward with their assault on lawmakers amid President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.
However, there is one aspect officials are unable to pinpoint: when and where the "follow-up attacks" will occur. The unknown details raise more concerns about what could unfold in the coming days.
According to The Washington Post, federal authorities have issued warnings about possible civil unrest at every state capitol across the 50 states amid the presidential inauguration. Although the Electoral College certification is now complete, President Donald Trump and his allies have convinced Trump supporters that the election was stolen.
Rita Katz, executive director of the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors extremists' online activity, weighed in with details about the perspective of those who plan to fight back. According to Katz, extremists could be preparing for prolonged opposition.
"It has begun to shift from 'We are going to win this' to 'This fight is going to be a long one,'" Katz said. "The prevalent consensus across the movements involved in or supporting the Capitol siege is that they will keep pushing forward."
Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio's latest remarks are an example of what experts are expecting over the next four years. He recently said, "We won't sit on our hands for the next four years but we can pick and choose our battles moving forward."
Katz added, "This movement isn't something we are going to simply delete from social media or evaporate by keeping them off mainstream media. Just as we have seen with other extremist movements, the extremists behind the Capitol siege will become further radicalized as they are pushed into less-moderated online venues."
Experts have also noted that extremists calling on their loyal followers to "loot and burn buildings and engage in physical violence against those they perceive to have aided Biden in illegitimately seizing the presidency."
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray has also indicated that the federal agency will be "monitoring 'an extensive amount of concerning online chatter' about events surrounding the inauguration," according to the publication.
"Right now, we're tracking calls for potential armed protests and activity leading up to the inauguration," Wray said, noting that it was a challenge "to distinguish what's aspirational versus what's intentional."
The Washington, D.C., chief of police has indicated that, by next week, nearly 20,000 National Guardsmen are expected to be deployed to the nation's capital ahead of Inauguration Day.
