On seven occasions this week AlertsUSA subscribers were notified via SMS messages to their mobile devices regarding a variety of safety and security matters.
Most important for this report:
On Wednesday, The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and National Counterterrorism Center issued a Joint Intelligence Bulletin to law enforcement agencies nationwide warning of an elevated terrorism threat from a variety of violent extremists in the wake of the Capitol Hill siege on Jan 6th.
According to the bulletin, those motivated by anti-government or anti-authority positions, ethnically motivated violent extremists, and domestic violent extremists (DVEs) citing partisan political grievances will very likely pose the greatest domestic terrorism threats in 2021. This includes "destruction of property and violence targeting officials at all levels of the government, law enforcement, journalists, and infrastructure, as well as sporadic violence surrounding lawful protests, rallies, demonstrations, and other gatherings."
Other potentially galvanizing factors include renewed measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, socio-political conditions, and perceived government overreach.
The bulletin also explains that amplified perceptions of fraud surrounding the outcome of the General Election and the change in control of the Presidency and Senate, when combined with long-standing drivers such as perceived government or law enforcement overreach, and the anticipation of legislation viewed by some to oppose or threaten their beliefs, "will also very likely will lead to an increase in extremist violence."
DHS, the FBI and National Counterterrorism Center advise federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government counterterrorism and law enforcement officials, along with private sector security partners, to remain vigilant. This is particularly important in light of the persistent threat posed by domestic violent extremists and their unpredictable target selection.
AlertsUSA reminds readers of a warning we issued last week:
Despite denials by the mainstream media and various government officials, a large portion of the U.S. population now knows there was widespread fraud and irregularities in at least the six key battleground states. This outcome dramatically amplifies partisan and ideological divisions and will likely lead to significant violence and social unrest in the coming months. Be careful. It behooves you to monitor local news to keep abreast of events in your area. There are significant efforts underway to frame the threat narrative as one of conservative and far right activists being behind the violence and posing the greatest threat. One only needs to look back at the widespread protests over the last year, or the Not My President / Sky Screamer protests following the inauguration of President Trump in 2017, to know this is not the case. At least not yet.
There are many angry people in the country. There are also many who feel emboldened by the election outcome and, using tried and true methods of pushing their agendas, will likely resort to continued public demonstrations and violence.
In related news:
On Monday of this week, AlertsUSA issued a warning message to subscribers urging vigilance in the run-up to the Jan 20th inauguration. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are on high alert for civil unrest and violent protests through Wednesday's inauguration of Biden / Harris. Scores of statehouses have increased security to various extents and several have deployed National Guard troops.
As of the time of this report's preparation Friday evening, there were between 7 and 10,000 National Guard soldiers on the ground in Washington, DC, with thousands more on the way. Earlier in the day, the Department of Defense announced it has authorized up to 25,000 service members to support the “federal law enforcement mission and security preparations.” Visualize that number here.
Earlier in the week, the Secret Service announced that National Special Security Event operations were beginning six days early, which essentially led to the nation's capital being locked down hard. The U.S. Capitol Police and National Park Service have closed multiple public facilities, parking areas & roads due to what are said to be credible threats to the presidential inauguration. The U.S. Capitol Complex is closed to the public, is now surrounded by riot fencing, and being patrolled by law enforcement and the National Guard.
The National Mall is also now closed to the general public. On Friday, the Governor of Virginia issued a statement that four major bridges between Virginia and downtown Washington, DC will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic from 6 am EST on Jan. 19 to 6 am on Jan. 21st.
Between the pandemic and security threats, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser is asking the American public to not come to the city for the inauguration on January 20th.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the domestic and international threat environment around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages to their mobile devices, of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.
