In at least two states, armed Trump supporters converge on vote-counting centers. Some protesters are armed while others use their hands to try to break through the windows.
In Arizona, where Biden leads by a small margin, protesters shout “Count those votes!” Many of them are armed, and their discontent is egged on by Rep. Paul Gosar and Mike Cernovich. In December, Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander claims that he works with Gosar and other members of Congress.
In Michigan, where Trump leads by a small margin, protesters shout “Stop the count!” and attempt to enter a vote-counting center in Detroit. The tension escalates as many of them bang on the windows of the room were ballots are being counted.
In Arizona, Republican Rep. Paul Gosar and far-right social media personality Michael Cernovich rile protesters, including several who openly carry firearms, outside the Maricopa County Elections Department. Far-right extremists are reportedly present, including militia movement groups and QAnon supporters. Reuters reports that some attendees said they joined the protest after seeing tweets about the event posted by Cernovich, who drove seven hours from California to speak at the protest. Trump supporters would continue to gather at the elections department for days.
Just Security
The protests came as the president insisted without evidence that there were major problems with the voting and the ballot counting, especially with mail-in votes, and as Republicans filed suit in various states over the election.
Wearing Trump gear, the Phoenix protesters filled much of the parking lot at the Maricopa County election center, and members of the crowd chanted, “Fox News sucks!” in anger over the network declaring Joe Biden the winner in Arizona.
Rep. Paul Gosar, an Arizona Republican and staunch Trump supporter, joined the crowd, declaring: “We’re not going to let this election be stolen. Period.”
However, observers from both major political parties were inside the election center as ballots were processed and counted, and the procedure was live-streamed online at all times.
Daily Press / Associated Press
Other protests, most surrounding police brutality and racial injustice, also take place across the country.
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Photo: Kent Nishimura/Getty Images
