Lamont Discourages Protests Ahead Of Inauguration

CONNECTICUT — Several law enforcement agencies continue to prepare for any potential armed protests this weekend through the presidential inauguration.

“This is a very edge time between now through the inaugural, so I urge people to be careful, but we’re ready,” Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday.

The Connecticut National Guard is also prepared to help state Capitol and state police as needed, said Lamont Chief of Staff Paul Mounds Thursday. More than 100 members of the guard were deployed to Washington, D.C. ahead of the inauguration.

Lamont urged people not to protest or counterprotest.

“Stay safe, stay home, we don’t want protesters coming out right now,” he said. “We certainly don’t want… counter demonstrations coming. We don’t want people rubbernecking just coming out to see what’s happening.”

FBI’s New Haven office says they’ve received no credible threats of violence or rioting in Connecticut ahead of President-Elect Joe Biden’s inauguration next Wednesday. But the agency will continue with security preparations.
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State House leaders moved up a session on judicial appointments from its regularly scheduled Jan. 20 date because it coincides with the inauguration, according to the CT Mirror. The move was made out of an abundance of caution and not because of a specific threat.

The state capitol remains closed to the public and committee meetings are being held remotely, but legislators must be at the capitol or in their offices in order to cast floor votes, according to the Mirror.

State employees in the Hartford area will telecommute if possible next week, Lamont said.

The FBI issued a bulletin earlier in the week that warned of potential armed protests at all 50 state capitols through Inauguration Day. The bulletin urged law enforcement agencies to increase security measures around capitol buildings.