Weekend Protests Outside Colorado State Capitol Small, Uneventful
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver police and Colorado State Patrol said Sunday there weren't any issues at the Colorado State Capitol, with a few people demonstrating on the west steps in support of President Trump and challenges of the 2020 presidential election. The FBI warned local and state law enforcement agencies to be on alert for armed protests through the inauguration on Wednesday at all state capitols.
"I think it was wrong, you know, I think you just throw a bad apple in all that and you get one guy getting another guy going and they just, it causes a snowball from there," one protestor said in an interview outside the capitol. "That's how it went, I think, you know, Donald didn't say go down there and bust in there."
The few people who showed up brought signs and flags, one man was seen with a gun.
The uneventful gathering was in sharp contrast to the riots at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Those attacks on a session of the U.S. Congress certifying the election of Joe Biden lead to the death of five people, including a Capitol police officer.
Increased security across the country at state capitols included a visible change in the law enforcement presence outside as well as closed off gates and fences around legislature buildings. Police departments echoed the message expressed in Colorado to take extra precautions and avoid any violence this week.
"I'm certainly very pleased that we're not seeing any issues or problems down here and I'd certainly like for us to be overprepared than underprepared," a law enforcement official in Wisconsin said.
The Colorado State Capitol will not be accessible to the public, DPD and Colorado State Patrol are working to make sure everyone stays safe. They cannot reveal all the details of their operation over the weekend and into the next week.
"We also have worked with Denver police, the state troopers and others to make sure that we have a security plan in place at our own state capital," Gov. Jared Polis told CBS4 on Sunday. "There's nothing going on at the State Capitol and the building will be closed."