National Guard Activated for Security at State Capitol

Governor Tony Evers activated the Wisconsin National Guard Monday to support Wisconsin Capitol Police at the state Capitol.

It’s been widely reported that the FBI has warned armed protests are being planned for capitols of all 50 states leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.

Troops from the Wisconsin National Guard Reaction Force, who are trained to respond to calls for assistance on short notice, are being sent to the Capitol, according to a press release from Evers’ office. Earlier on Monday, windows on the first floor of the state capitol were boarded up, news station WEAU 13 reported.

Less than a week ago, a protest in Washington D.C. turned violent when thousands of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol, breaking through windows and ramming open entranceways and barricaded doors, in an attempt to stop the U.S. Senate from voting to certify the electors in the 2020 presidential election.

The events at the capitol resulted in a handful of deaths, including one Capitol Police officer, Brian Sicknick, who died after reportedly being hit with a fire extinguisher.

“Once again, our state has asked our Citizen Soldiers in the Wisconsin National Guard to answer the call to keep our state, its citizens, and its institutions safe,” said Maj. Gen. Paul Knapp, Wisconsin’s adjutant general.